m 


zats&s^xA 


®a ; 


A  Pictorial  and  Descriptive  History 


OF  OUR 


Country's  Scenic  flarvels 


AS  DELINEATED  BY  PEN  AND  CAMERA 


By  J:  Wf  BUEL 


q-WZO 


The  Famous  Traveler  and  America's  most  eloquent  descriptive  writer 

Author  of  The  Beautiful  Story,  The  Story  of  Han,  The  Living  World,  Exile  Life  in  Siberia,  Heroes  of  the  Dark  Continent, 
....     Around  the  World  with  the  Great  Explorers,  Sea  and  Land,  The  World's  Wonders,  Etc.,  Etc.    .    .    . 

flore  than  5OO  flagnificent  Photographic  Views 

OF  THE 

flajestic  Hountains,  Bewildering  Canons,  Beautiful  Waterfalls,  Curious  and  Weird  Formations,  Charming  Valleys,  Picturesque  Lakes, 

Famous  Caverns,  Spouting  Geysers,  Colossal  Glaciers,  and  hundreds  of  other  Natural  Wonders  that  render  America  the 

most  famous  and  beautiful  among  the  Nations  of  the  world.     Interspersed  with  History,  Legend,  Adventure 

and  Entrancing   Descriptions   of  the  flarvelous  Regions  and   Natural  Wonders  embraced  within 

.     .     our  vast  domain,  from  Alaska's  frigid  clime  to  Florida's  summerlands.     .     . 


JOHN  WILLIAMS, 

132  Duane  Street,  New  York. 

664  Broadway,  Albany,  N.  Y.  37  Court  St.,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

80  W.  flain  St.,  Rochester,  N.  Y.  117  Public  Sq.,  Cleveland,  O. 


1 


The  Engravings  in  this  volume  were  made 
from  original  photographs,  and  are  specially  pro 
tected  by  Copyright,  and  notice  is  hereby  given, 
that  any  person  or  persons  guilty  of  reproducing 
or  infringing  the  copyright  in  any  way  will  be 
dealt  with  according  to  law 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year 
1893,  by 

H.  5.  SMITH, 

In  the  Office  of  the   Librarian  of  Congress,  at 
Washington,  D.  C. 
All  rights  reserved. 


•3 


.u.i  Library 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

THE  SUBLIMELY  GRAND  AND  INCOMPARABLE  SCENERY  OF 
AMERICA. — Picturesque  lands  and  places  of  other  countries 
— Engagement  of  a  corps  of  Photographers — Equipment  of 
our  Camera  car — A  trip  to  the  Rocky  Mountains — Hasty 
resume  of  the  pictorial  districts  visited — From  summer 
climes  to  Alaska's  glacial  shores  —  Excursions  by  car, 
stage,  donkey  and  foot — Educational  benefits  of  the  tour — 
The  work  one  of  patriotic  incitement, 6—16 

CHAPTER  I. 

AMONG  THE  WILD  SCENES  OF  COLORADO. — Through  the  Gate 
way  of  the  Rockies — Wondrous  visions — In  the  canons  of 
Bear  Creek — Colossal  cleavage  of  Clear  Creek — A  sub 
merged  forest  of  petrified  trees — Among  the  clouds — Devil's 
Gate  to  Bridal  Veil  Falls — The  Loop  at  Georgetown — Silver 
Flume — Cornucopias  of  ailver — Over  the  switchback  to 
silver  lands — Between  towering  crags — Terrific  convulsions 
of  nature — Dome  Rock — Invocation  of  surging  waters — The 
highest  point  ever  reached  by  rail — A  marvelous  tunnel — 
An  astounding  view — Through  Boulder  Canon  and  into 
North  Park — A  tour  of  Estes  Park — Visits  to  Long's  Peak 
and  Bald  Mountain — Wild  game  in  savage  haunts — Climb 
ing  the  American  Matterhorn — Bewildering  prospect  from 
the  "key-hole" — A  trip  to  Table  Mountain  and  examina 
tion  of  the  glaciers — A  journey  through  Middle  Park — A 
story  of  Grand  Lake — Away  up  on  a  dizzy  brink,  .  .  .  17-40 

CHAPTER  II. 

MANITOU  THE  MIGHTY. — Twin  cities  that  sit  at  the  feet  of 
Pike's  Peak — A  spell  of  wonderment  wrought  by  the  eccen 
tricities  of  nature — God's  acres  of  tumultuous  stone — The 
story  of  Major  Pike's  discover}' — The  first  ascent  of  Pike's 
Peak — The  cog-wheel  railroad  to  the  summit — A  trip  to 
cloud-land — The  wonderful  panorama  to  be  surveyed  from 
the  peak — A  battalion  of  mountains  in  review — A  storm  on 
the  mountain — Ute  Pass  to  Cascade  Canon — Rainbow  Falls 
and  Grand  Caverns — From  the  Cave-of-the- Winds  down 
William's  Canon — Garden  of  the  Gods — Nature  in  wild  riot 


PAGB 
of  gruesome  forms  and  sublime  creations — Through  Glen 

Eyrie  and  Monument  Park — Witcheries  that  confound 
imagination — A  visit  to  Cheyenne  Canon — Seven  Falls — 
Entrancing  hymns  of  nature — Legends  of  the  Manitou,  .  41-62 

CHAPTER  III. 

GRAND  CANONS  OF  WESTERN  RIVERS. — A  land  of  graceful, 
deep-leaping  waterfalls — A  park  of  marvelous  petrifactions 
— Buena  Vista,  the  beautiful  view — Sportsmen's  Paradise — 
Through  Hagerman  Tunnel  to  Mount  of  the  Holy  Cross — 
Grand  River  Canon — Sixteen  miles  of  natural  wonders — 
The  Grand  Canon  of  the  Colorado — Major  Powell's  Trip 
from  Green  River  to  Yuma — A  perilous  journey  richly 
recompensed  —  Flaming  Gorge  and  Horseshoe  Canons — 
Tossed  by  dangerous  rapids  into  halls  and  temples  carved 
by  Titans — In  a  chasm  7,000  feet  deep — Caverns  of  En 
chantment  and  walls  flecked  with  rainbow  colors — A  bor 
derland  of  phantasy — Cave  habitations  of  an  extinct  race — 
Story  of  the  hunted  refugees — Vermilion  Cliffs,  Temples  of 
the  Virgin  and  Marble  Canon — Glories  that  thrill  the  heart 
with  ecstasy,  and  fill  the  soul  with  reverence, 


63-84 


CHAPTER  IV. 


MARVELS  OF  THE  GREAT  DESERT. — Magnificence  of  the 
scenery  along  Grand  River — From  mountain  to  plain — 
Beautiful  Provo  Falls — Our  great  inland  sea — Fruitfulness 
of  Salt  Lake  Valley — A  wall  of  mountains  around  Salt 
Lake — Shores  of  ancient  Lake  Bonneville,  now  America's 
dead  sea — Islands  of  Salt  Lake — The  Mormon  City  and  how 
it  was  founded — Red  Butte  and  Emigrant  Canons — Garfield 
Beach  and  Giant's  Cave — Echo  and  Weber  Canons — Val 
leys  of  marvelous  diversity — The  Devil's  Slide  and  the 
Witches'  Playground — Beaver  River  Gulch  and  scenic 
wonders  about  Ogden — A  trip  across  the  creviced  lava 
fields  of  Idaho — The  magnitude  and  awful  ness  of  Shoshone 
Falls — A  second  Niagara  in  the  desert — Twin,  Cascade  and 
Bridal  Veil  Falls — A  realistic  description  of  this  incompar 
able  wonderland 85-112 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAFER  V. 


PACK 


PAGE 


OVER  THE  HEIGHTS  AND  INTO  THE  DEEPS  OF  WONDERLAND. 
—Through  the  portals  of  Black  Canon— Astounding  views 
along  Gunnison  River— Chippeta  Falls  and  Ctirrecanti 
Needle — A  sight  of  Fossil  Ridge  and  the  Cone  of  Ouray— 
The  trip  over  Marshall  Pass — The  terrible  mightiness  of 
the  Royal  Gorge — Hanging  Bridge — The  tempestuously 
craggy  route  between  Ironton  and  Ouray — Marvelous  engi 
neering  skill — Weirdly  savage  Animas  Canon — A  railroad 
balcony  1,500  feet  above  the  river— A  flight  high  as  the 
eagle's — Kit  Carson's  Exploits  in  Canon  de  Chelle — The 
awesomenessof  Toltec  Gorge — A  parade-ground  of  Nature's 
Idols — Looking  down  upon  the  world — Blooming  flower- 
land  of  San  Luis  Park — Down  through  Comanche  Canon — 
A  side  trip  to  ruined  pueblos  and  cliff  dwellings  in  New 
Mexico — Something  about  an  extinct  race — The  Grave  of 
Kit  Carson — Some  history  of  remarkable  interest — The 
ancient  Pueblo  Indians  and  their  dwellings — Magnificent 
ruins  of  the  Casa  Grandes — Montezuma's  Palace — Evidences 
of  a  walled  and  towered  city — Prehistoric  man  in  New 
Mexico, 113-152 

CHAPTER  VI. 

ACROSS  THE  CACTUS  DESERT  INTO  CALIFORNIA'S  GOLDEN 
LAND. — The  Zuni  plateau — Approach  to  the  Grand  Canon 
of  the  Colorado — A  scene  of  overpowering  sublimity — A 
Mohave  Village — Death  Valley — From  sterility  to  fertility 
. — Monterey  and  its  attractions — A  visit  to  the  Lick  Observ 
atory  and  the  great  telescope — In  and  around  San  Francisco 
— The  Seals'  Sporting  Grounds — The  Mariposa  grove  of 
big  trees — A  trip  through  the  wondrous  valley  of  the 
Yosemite — A  stage  journey  through  a  region  of  incomparable 
grandeur — Wonders  and  curiosities  of  the  Yosemite — Falls 
of  extraordinary  beauty  and  peaks  of  amazing  height — 
The  Calavaras  big  trees — The  journey  from  Ogden  to  Cali 
fornia — Across  the  great  American  desert — Indian  camps 
along  the  way — The  Humboldt  Palisades — Lake  Tahoe — 
The  sad  story  of  the  Donner  party — Along  the  lofty  crest  of 
American  Canon — Giant's  Gap  and  Cape  Horn — The  beau 
tiful  Sacramento  Valley 153-192 

CHAPTER  VII. 

OUR  JOURNEY  THROUGH  PICTURESQUE  REGIONS  OF  THE 
NORTHWEST. — Winter  in  vernal  climes — A  plunge  into  the 


Siskiyou  Range — the  light  that  crowns  Shasta's  head— 
Soda  Springs  that  titillate  the  palate  like  champagne — 
Exquisite  Mossbrse  Falls — A  glorious  sight  from  Portland's 
heights — Lofty  peaks  of  the  Cascade  Range — A  trip  up  the 
Columbia — Pictorial  shores  that  lend  charm  to  interest — Its 
dales,  palisades  and  waterfalls — A  panorama  of  extraordi 
nary  grandeur — A  side  trip  to  Crater  Lake — Traditions  of 
the  Klamath  Indians — The  most  marvelous  body  of  water 
on  earth — Indian  legend  of  creation,  the  flood  and  repeopling 
of  the  world — Wondrous  visions  on  the  lake — The  core  of 
a  great  volcano — A  Siwash  legend  of  the  Saviour — A  voyage 
to  Alaska — First  sight  of  the  glaciers — In  the  land  of  ice 
bergs — Description  of  Muir  Glacier — Birth  of  icebergs — His 
tory  of  the  glacial  epoch — Facts  and  fancies  about  Alaskan 
natives — Their  religion  and  mortuary  customs — O,  glorious 
night  of  the  North! .  193-234 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

ACROSS  THE  MOUNTAINS  TO  YELLOWSTONE  PARK. — A  detour 
on  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railroad  —  Magnificent  scenery 
along  Fraser  River — Green  lakes  on  mountain  brows — 
Canadian  National  Park — A  glimpse  of  the  Sandwich 
Islands  through  other  eyes  than  ours — Down  the  Yakimer 
River — Spokane  and  Palouse  Falls — Sights  along  Snake 
River — Pinnacle  Rocks — Lost  Falls — Lakes  of  marvelous 
beauty  and  rivers  of  torrential  flow — A  trip  to  the  12  falls 
of  the  Missouri — Our  visit  to  Yellowstone  Park — The  won 
drous  gateway  to  Gardiner  Canon — Nesting  place  of  the 
sentinel  eagle — Mammoth  Hot  Springs  Terraces — Remark 
able  formations  more  beautiful  than  the  Cave  of  Stalacta — 
Springs  glowing  with  brilliant  coloring — Terraces  of  petri 
fied  rainbows— Through  the  Golden  Gate,  by  deep  canon, 
lofty  waterfall  and  far-soaring  cliffs — In  purgatorial  regions 
— Growling  caves  and  spouting  Geysers — The  Devil's 
Kitchen  and  his  Majesty's  Mush-pot — Along  Firehole 
River  and  into  the  Lower  Basin — The  land  of  fearful  sur 
prises  and  volcanic  energy — Yellowstone  Lake  and  its 
game-abounding  shores — Death  Valley  and  Petrified  Forest 

Grand  Canon  of  the  Yellowstone  and  its  flowing  beauties 

— Tower  and  Yellowstone  Falls — A  grave-yard  of  mam 
moth  quadripeds 235-288 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


PAGE 


AMONG  THE  WONDERS  OF  THE  BLACK  HILLS. — Beautiful  Dells 
of  the  St.  Croix — Scenes  of  the  last  Indian  uprising — The 
scenery  about  Deadwood — Tumultuous  wonders  of  Custer 
Park — Marvels  of  Elk  Creek  Canon — Harney's  Peak  and 
Wedge  Rock — Horseshoe  Curve — Keith's  Crystal  Cave — 
A  trip  to  the  Belle  Fourche — Astounding  \vonder  of  the 
Devil's  Tower — A  basaltic  column  higher  than  the  Eiffel 
Tower — Speculations  concerning  its  formation — Crow  Butte 
and  Signal  Rock — A  story  of  Indian  heroism — St.  Anthony's 
Falls — Charming  beauty  of  Minnehaha — Dells  of  the  St. 
Croix — The  Devil's  Fishing  Place — Customs  of  the  Wiscon 
sin  Indians — Making  a  Medicine  Man — Witchery  of  the 
Wisconsin  Dells — Cleavages  of  extraordinary  curiosity — 
Funeral  ceremonies  of  the  Ojibways — Wonders  of  Devil's 
Lake  and  Camp  Douglas — Through  the  Straits  of  Macki 
naw — Picturesqueness  of  Superior's  Shores — Pictured  pali 
sades  and  frozen  waterfalls — Scenery  along  the  north  shore 
— A  trip  down  the  Mississippi,  289-344 

CHAPTER  X. 

SCENIC  MARVELS  OF  THE  GREAT  NORTHEAST. — Mountain 
scenes  in  the  vicinity  of  Eureka  Springs — Legend  of  the 
Starved  Rock  in  Illinois — Sublime  glories  and  immensity 
of  Niagara  Falls — Utilization  of  the  waters — Some  interest 
ing  scientific  facts — The  Mohawk  Valley  and  Leather 
Stocking  Stories — Magnificence  of  Watkin's  and  Havana 
Glens — The  poetry  of  idyllic  retreats — Down  through  the 
Thousand  Islands — Chatauguay  Chasm  —  Canons  of  the 
Ausable  and  bewildering  glories  of  the  Adirondacks  — 
Hunting  grounds  of  the  great  North  wilderness — Scenes  of 
incomparable  grandeur — Story  of  our  tramp  through  the 
Catskills — A  trip  down  the  Hudson — Places  famous  in 
American  history — West  Point  and  its  noted  surroundings,  345-382 

CHAPTER  XI. 

A  PICTORIAL  TOUR  OF  THE  EASTERN  STATES. — A  trip  through 
the  scenic  regions  of  Canada — Torrential  mightiness  of 
Chaudiere  Falls — The  falls  of  Montreal  River — A  trip 
through  Lachine  Rapids — Something  about  the  early  history 
of  Quebec — Winter  sports  in  Montreal — The  home  of  Queen 
Victoria's  father — Beautiful  scenery  in  the  vicinity  of  Quebec 
— A  journey  through  the  New  England  States — The  Green 
Mountains  of  Vermont — Description  of  the  White  Mount- 


PAGE 

ains — Singular  examples  of  nature  sculpturing — Ascension 
of  the  highest  peaks  and  bewildering  views  therefrom — The 
cog-wheel  railroad  up  Mount  Washington — Sensations  and 
charms  of  the  ascent — A  typical  village  in  a  New  Hampshire 
valley — Vagaries  and  reveries  of  a  poetaster — Wild  grandeur 
of  Wild-Cat  River — Afloat  on  the  pretty  lakes  of  New 
Hampshire — From  Maine  to  Boston — Historic  places  of 
Massachusetts,  and  the  stories  connected  with  them — 
Curiosities  around  Pittsfield  and  description  of  the  Shaker 
settlement,  .  .  .  .  .  '.  ..'.-.  .'.  „  .  .  383-414 

CHAPTER  XII. 

ON  HISTORIC  FIELDS  OF  VIRGINIA  AND  PENNSYLVANIA. — 
From  the  Blue  Grass  Regions  to  the  Shenandoah — Scenery 
of  the  Kanawha  River  and  Blue  Ridge  Mountains — Mar 
velous  Natural  Bridge  of  Virginia — Some  remarkable 
scenes  in  East  Tennessee  —  Pen-pictures  of  some  of  the 
mountaineers — War  memories  that  are  fast  fading — The 
Great  Smoky  Mountains — Portraitures  of  North  Caro 
linians,  and  some  typical  farm  scenes — Scenery  about 
Asheville — A  tragic  story  of  the  ascent  of  Mount  Mitchell — 
A  visit  to  Luray  Caverns — Beauties  of  the  Under-world  that 
dazzle  with  their  splendor — Descriptions  of  the  subterranean 
chambers — Valley  of  the  Shenandoah — Memorable  battle 
fields — Down  the  Juniata— Scenery  of  the  Susquehanna — 


Visit  to  a  land  of  waterfalls  beyond  the  Water  Gap, 
CHAPTER  XIII. 


415-448 


THROUGH  LANGUOROUS  LANDS  OF  THE  SUNNY  SOUTH. — A 
visit  to  the  Gettysburg  battle-field — Through  the  Wilder 
ness  of  Virginia — Scene  of  the  closing  event  of  the  war  — 
From  Fortress  Monroe  to  the  Dismal  Swamp — Story  of 
Nat  Turner's  Insurrection — A  Dream  of  the  Old  Cabin 
Home — From  Georgia  to  the  orange  lands  of  Florida — 
Olden  times  in  St.  Augustine — A  boat  journey  down  Indian 
River,  into  a  land  of  perpetual  bloom — Visions  of  tropic 
beauty  and  luxuriance — A  trip  on  St.  John's  River,  and  on 
the  Ocklawaha — Alligators,  snakes,  and  other  slimy  things 
— Marvels  of  Silver  Spring — 'Way Down  Upon  the  Suwan- 
nee  River — From  Mobile  to  New  Orleans — A  trip  to  Mam 
moth  Cave — Descriptions  of  its  subterranean  wonders — A 
tour  of  Wyandotte  Cave — Magnificence  of  its  halls,  in  which 
the  splendors  of  Aladdin's  Cavern  are  reproduced  —  Con 
clusion -.  .  449-503 


BERYL  SPRINGS   AND  CLEOPATRA  TERRACE,   YELLOWSTONE   NATIONAL   PARK. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Beryl  Springs  and  Cleopatra  Terrace,  Yellowstone  Park, 

A  Family  of  Pueblo  Indians,  New  Mexico, 

Governor's  Residence,  Pueblo  of  Tesuque,  New  Mexico, 

"  Whale-Back  "  Boat  of  the  Northern  Lakes, 

The  Urns,  Manitou  Park,  Colorado,      .... 

On  the  Ocklawaha  River,  Florida, 

On  the  Summit  of  Mount  Tacoma,  Oregon, 

View  of  Fort  Wrangel,  Alaska, 

Pike's  Peak,  from  Colorado  Springs, 

Marshall  Falls,  Clear  Creek  Caiion,  .... 

A  View  of  Pike's  Peak,  ...... 

Chalk  Cliffs,  Clear  Creek  Canon, 

A  View  of  Platte  Canon,          ...... 

Argenta  Falls, » 

Canon  Walls  of  the  Rio  de  Los  Animas, 

Bridal  Veil  Falls,  near  Devil's  Gate,         .... 

Valley  of  the  Gunnison,  .         .         .         .         . 

The  Loop,  near  Georgetown,      .         .         . 

Mary  Lake  and  Long's  Peak,  Estes  Park, 

Entrance  to  Estes  Park, 

High  Line  Canal,  Silver  Plume,  .         .         .     ,    , 

Dome  Rock,  Boulder  Canon,     ...... 

Boulder  Falls, 

Mountain  of  the  Holy  Cross,      ...... 

Graymont  Mountain,  Middle  Park,       .... 

Saddle  Rock,  Ute  Pass, 

Within  the  Gates,  Garden  of  the  Gods, 

Torrey's  Peak,  Middle  Park,      ...... 

The  Westward  Flood  of  Emigration,     .... 

Fremont's  Pass,  North  Park,       ...... 

Dodge's  Bluff,  Canon  of  Grand  River,  .         .        . 

Grand  Lake,  Middle  Park,          ...... 

Gore's  Canon,  Middle  Park, 

In  the  Caiion  of  Grand  River,  ..... 

Seal  and  Bear,  Garden  of  the  Gods,      .... 
Stalactite  Organ,  Grand  Caverns,      ..... 
Cathedral  Spires,  Garden  of  the  Gods, 

Jumbo  Tunnel,  Grand  Caverns, 

Carriage-Road  up  Pike's  Peak,      ..... 
Temple  of  Isis,  Williams'  Canon,      ..... 
The  Jaws  of  Clear  Creek  Canon,  .... 

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Williams'  Canon,  near  the  Cave-of-the- Winds, 

Pillar  of  Jupiter, 

Triple  Falls,  Cheyenne  Canon,  ...... 

Anvil  Rock,  Garden  of  the  Gods,  ..... 

Rainbow  Falls,  Ute  Pass,  ....... 

Tower  of  Babel,  Garden  of  the  Gods,  .... 

Observatory  on  Pike's  Peak, 

Ute  Pass,  near  Manitou, 

Gateway  to  Garden  of  the  Gods,        ...... 

The  Dutch  Wedding,  Monument  Park,         .... 

Balanced  Rock,  Garden  of  the  Gods 

The  Devil's  Tooth,  Cheyenne  Canon,  .... 

Vulcan's  Anvil,  Monument  Park, 

Major  Domo,  Glen  Eyrie,       ....... 

Needle  Rocks,  Garden  of  the  Gods, 

Medicine  Rock,  Monument  Park, 

The  Idiot,  Monument  Park,        ....... 

Mother  Grundy,  Monument  Park,         ..... 

Phantom  Falls,  North  Cheyenne  Canon, 

Castle  Falls,  North  Cheyenne  Canon,  .... 

Crystal  Falls,  Cascade  Canon,  ...... 

The  Bear's  Cave,  near  Green  Lake,       .         .         .         .         . 

Portal  of  Grand  River  Canon, 

Sylvan  Falls,  Cascade  Canon 

Book  Cliffs,  Grand  River  Canon, 

Triple  Falls,  Cascade  Canon,         ...... 

Near  Hance's  Cabin,  Grand  Canon  of  the  Colorado, 

Ten-Mile  Pass,  Kokomo,  Colorado, 

In  the  Canon  of  Grand  River,  

Kaibab  Pinnacles,  Grand  Canon  of  the  Colorado, 
Pyramid  Peak,  Grand  Canon  of  the  Colorado, 
Horseshoe  Canon,  Grand  Canon  of  the  Colorado, 
Echo  Cliffs,  Canon  of  Grand  River,  . 

Jarassic  Terrace  of  the  Colab,  Grand  Canon  of  the  Colorado, 

Cliff  Ruins  in  the  Canon, 

Buffalo  Bill  and  Party  at  Point  Sublime,       .... 

Skulls  of  the  Cliff-Dwellers, 

Hance's  Trail,  Grand  Canon, 

A  Rotary  Snow-Plow, 

Ruins  of  Ancient  Palace  of  Casa  Grande,     . 

Ruins  of  Ancient  Walls  of  Casa  Grande,  .         .         .         . 


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LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Bridal  Veil,  Shoshone  Falls, 
Freshet  Falls  of  the  Parunuweap,  Colorado, 
Twin  Lakes,  Cottonwood  Canon,  .        .' 

Black  Rock,  Great  Salt  Lake,    .        .        .        . 

Utaline,  Division  between  Utah  and  Colorado, 
Mormon  Temple,  Salt  Lake  City,      . 
Provo  Falls,  Utah,  ..... 

Bee-Hive  House,  Salt  Lake  City, 
Double  Circle,  near  Eureka,  Utah, 
Brigham  Young's  Grave,  Salt  Lake  City,          . 
Castle  Gate,  Price's  Canon,         '    .' 
Josephine  Falls,  Utah,        ..... 

Mount  Nebo,  Wasatch  Range,       .         .        . 

Pulpit  Rock,  Weber  Canon,       .        . 

Oldest  House  in  Salt  Lake  City, 

Witches'  Rocks,  Weber  Canon,  •.        . 

Mormon  Tithing  House,  Salt  Lake  City, 

Hanging  Rock,  American  Fork  Canon,  . 

The  Devil's  Slide,  Weber  Canon, 

Tea-Pot  Rock,  Green  River,       .        .         .        . 

Pulpit  Rock,  Echo  Canon,     . 

Maiden  of  the  Bad  Lands, 

Witch  Rock,  Bad  Lands  of  Wyoming,          . 

Monument  Rock,  Echo  Canon,          ..       .         . 

Giant's  Club,  Green  River,  .    .    . 

Banks  of  Snake  River,        .         .        . 

Bad  Lands  of  Wyoming,         ...        .        .     . 

Weber  Valley  and  Tunnel,         .         .        .        . 

Petrified  Trees  of  the  Bad  Lands,  .       . . 

Cedar  Canon,  Bad  Lands  of  Dakota, 
Bluffs  of  Green  River,  .... 

Moyea  Falls,  Idaho,  .         .         .         ', 

Shoshone  Falls, 

Ferry  at  Shoshone  Falls,  .         .         .   •     . 

Natural  Bridge,  Shoshoue  Falls,  .        . 

Unaweep  Canon,  Colorado,         .... 

Toad-Stool  Rock,  near  Gunnison,         . 

Box  Canon  Falls,  near  Gunnison,     . 

Eagle  Rock,  Shoshone  Falls,     •    . 

Profile  Rock,  near  Ouray,  .         .        ,  •     . 

Mouth  of  Grand  River  Canon, 

Leaning  Tower,  Perry  Park,      .        .    '    . 

Cascade  at  Ouray,  .    '     .   •      .         .         . 

Currecanti  Needle,  Colorado,  . 

Twin  Falls,  near  Ames,  Colorado, 

Chippeta  Falls,  Black  Canon  of  the  Gunnison, 


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Jaws  of  Death,  Animas  Canon, 

Mount  Ouray,  Colorado,     .         .         . 

Excavations  in  the  Cliffs  of  Mancos  Canon, 

Ruins  of  Cliff  Dwellings  in  Mancos  Canon, 

West  Side  of  Marshall  Pass, 

Calcareous  Cliffs  of  Grand  River,       .         . 

The  Royal  Gorge, 

Phantom  Curve,  .        .        .        . 

Trail  Over  the  San  Juan  Mountains, 

Crevice  Canon,  near  Ouray,        .         .         . 

Antelope  Park,  nekr  Toltec  Gorge, 

Deer  Park  Cascade,  Animas  Canon,  . 

Ouray  and  Silvertou  Stage-Road,  .         . 

Lake  Brennan,  in  South  Park,         /.        . 

City  of  Ouray,  Colorado,         . 

Maiden  Hair  Falls,     ..... 

Animas  Canon,         ...... 

Cliff  Dwellings  in  the  Rio  Mancos  Canon, 
Ruins  of  the  Cliff-Dwellers,  Mancos  Canon, 
Weapons  and  Utensils  of  Cliff-Dwellers, 
Lake  San  Cristoval,  Colorado,        .         .         . 
Grave  of  Kit  Carson,  New  Mexico,    . 
Toltec  Gorge  of  the  Los  Pinos,      .         .         . 
Cave  Dwellings  in  the  Canon  de  Chelley, 
A  Relic  of  the  Cave-Dwellers, 
La  Veta  Pass,  Colorado,     .         .        .         . 


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Cave  Habitations,  near  Espanola,          .         .         .         ......  144 

Wagon-Wheel  Gap,     ...........  145 

Spanish  Peaks,  from  Las  Vegas,  .         .         .         .     •    .        .         .         .  140 

Los  Pinos  Valley, .  .         .  147 

Mexican  Ovens  used  by  Pueblo  Indians,       .         .         .  .         .         .  148 

Adobe  Village  of  Pueblo  Indians,      . 149 

Scene  on  the  Great  American  Desert,  .         .         .        .         .         .         .  150 

Pueblo  Village  of  La  Guna,        ...         . 151 

Inner  Court  of  a  Pueblo  Town,      . 152 

Navajo  Church,  near  Fort  Wingate,  ....         .         .         .         .  153 

The  Needles,  along  the  Rio  Grande,     .         .     ' .. .         .         .         .         .         .  154 

The  Old  Spanish  Palace,  Santa  Fe, 155 

Old  Church  of  San  Miguel  (built  1550),  Santa  Fe, 155 

Natural  Bridge,  near  Monterey,  California,      .         ...         .         .         .  156 

A  Century  Plant  in  Bloom,     . 157 

A  Cactus  Fence  in  Arizona, 157 

The  Great  Telescope  in  Lick  Observatory,  .  158 

The  Jaws  of  Grand  Canon  of  the  Colorado,     .         .         .         .         .         .  159 

Our  Stage-Coach  Crossing  the  Santa  Inez i  160 

Magnolia  Avenue,  Riverside,  California, .•  161 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


The  Grizzly  Giant,  Mariposa  Grove,     .         . 
An  Old  Mission  House,  California, 
Bridal  Veil  Falls,  Yosemite,          . 
Lick  Observatory,  on  Mount  Hamilton, 
El  Capitan,  Yosemite  Park,  . 

Garden  of  Palms  at  Indio,  California, 
Vernal  Falls  and  Lady  Franklin  Rock, 
Seal  Rocks  and  Cliff  House,  California, 
Glacier  Point,  Yosemite,        . 
Big  Trees  in  the  Mariposa  Forest,     . 

Vernal  Falls,  Yosemite, 

Mirror  Lake,  Yosemite, 

Illillouette  Falls  and  South  Dome,  Yosemite, 
Upper  Cascade,  Bridal  Veil  Falls,  Yosemite, 
Sentinel  Rock  Wrapped  in  a  Cloud,  Yosemite, 
The  Turn,  in  Chilnualnu  Falls,  Yosemite, 
Yosemite  Valley,  from  Artists'  Point,  Yosemite, 
An  Indian  Burial  Scaffold,  Nevada, 
Half  Dome  and  Cloud's  Rest,  Yosemite, 
Cave  Rock,  Lake  Tahoe,  California, 
The  Sentinel  in  Yosemite  Park,    . 
Cascade  Bridge  on  the  Sierras, 
Cathedral  Rocks,  Yosemite,  . 

Heather  Lake,  California,          .... 
The  Mountains  about  Lake  Tahoe,  California,    . 
The  Brow  of  El  Capitan,  Yosemite, 
Wagon-Road  through  one  of  the  Big  Trees, 
Ice  Formation  at  Foot  of  Bridal  Veil  Falls, 

Nevada  Falls,  Yosemite 

Donner  Lake,  California,  .         . 

Agassiz  Column,  Yosemite,  .• 

Passage  Around  Cape  Horn,  California, 
Snow  Shovelers  Cutting  a  Blockade,     < 
Upper  Yosemite  Falls  in  Winter, 
American  River  Canon,  California, 
Rotary  Snow-Plow  in  Action,    .... 
High  Sierras  and  Susie  Lake,  California,     . 
Upper  Cascade  of  Chilnualnu  Falls,  Yosemite, 

Najaqui  Falls,  California, 

Interior  of  a  Snow-Shed  in  the  Sierras, 
Mount  Shasta,  from  Sissons,  California,       .   , 
Sacramento  Canon,  California, 
Mossbrse  Falls,  Sacramento  River, 
Soda  Springs,  Sacramento  Canon,     . 
Strawnahan's  Falls,  Mount  Hood, 
Multinomah  Falls,  Oregon 


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Willamette  Falls,  Oregon,      .         .     •    . 
Dalles  of  the  Columbia,  Oregon, 
Natural  Pillars,  Columbia  River, 
The  Crater  of  Mount  Hood,        .        . 
On  the  Route  to  Crater  Lake,  Oregon, 
Oneonta  Gorge,  Columbia  River, 
Rooster  Rock,  Columbia  River,     .         .  • 
Cascades  of  the  Columbia,          ... 
Crater  Lake  and  Wizard  Island,     . 
Among  the  Clouds,  on  Mount  Hood, 
Scene  on  Columbia  River,     ...» 
Cliffs  around  Crater  Lake,         .... 
Grotto  in  Crater  Lake,  .        .       '.     .   . 

Palisades  of  the  Columbia,         .-'.-.        . 
Great  Glacier  in  the  Selkirk  Mountains, 
A  Fish-Wheel  on  the  Columbia,         .    '     . 
Greek  Church  in  Juneau,  Alaska,          .•''.- 
Summit  of  Mount  St.  Helens,  .        .  '     , 

Top  of  Muir  Glacier,  Alaska,         , 
Crevasse  in  Muir  Glacier,  . 

Cathedral  Rock,  on  Columbia  River, 
Indian  Burial  Houses,  near  Juneau,  Alaska,     . 
Brink  of  Snoqualmie  Falls,  Oregon,     . 
Side  View  of  the  Great  Glacier, 
Latourelle  Falls,  Oregon,       .... 

A  View  of  Mount  Hood 

Umatilla  Indian  Camp,  Oregon, 
Indian  River,  Alaska,         ....'. 
Mountain  near  Muir  Glacier,         .        .        . 
Cave  in  tjie  Great  Glacier,          «•        .         .         . 
Scuzzie  Falls,  British  America, 

Face  of  Muir  Glacier, 

Village  of  Kasa-an  and  Totem  Poles, 
Christine  Falls,  Alaska,     .        .        .        .        . 
Taku  Glacier,  Alaska,  .... 

Davidson's  Glacier,  British  America,        . 
The  Pool  at  Banff,  British  America, 
Devil's  Gate,  Beaver  Canon,  British  America, 
Spokane  Falls,  Washington,          ...        . 
Native  Girls  of  Hawaii,      .        .        .        .        •. 
Kanfohe  Park,  Sandwich  Islands,         , 
Kakabeka  Falls,  Thunder  Bay, 
The  Royal  Palace,  Hawaii,     .        ... 
Snow-Sheds  on  the  Canadian  Pacific,        .         • 
Limestone  Bluffs  of  the  Upper  Missouri, 
Kananaske's  Falls,  British  America,         .        . 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Cleopatra  and  Jupiter  Terraces,  Yellowstone  Park, 
Canon  of  Missouri  River,  ..... 

Pulpit  Terrace,  Yellowstone  Park, 
Rainbow  Falls,  Montana,  ..... 

Little  Jupiter  Terrace,  Yellowstone  Park, 

Sluice-Box  Canon,  Montana 

Coated  Springs  Terraces,  Yellowstone  Park, 
Echo  Canon  Falls,  Montana,     ..... 
Limestone  Hoodoos,  Yellowstone  Park, 
Natural  Castle,  Sluice-Box  Canon,  Montana, 
Hymen  Terraces,  Yellowstone  Park,     . 
Cleopatra  and  Jupiter  Terraces,  Yellowstone  Park, 
Jupiter  Terrace,  Yellowstone  Park, 

In  the  Belt  Valley,  Montana, 

The  Golden  Gate,  Yellowstone  Park, 
Liberty  Cap,  Yellowstone  Park,         .... 
Excelsior  Geyser  in  Action,  .... 

Cupid's  Cave,  Yellowstone  Park,       ,         .         .         . 
Old  Faithful  Geyser  in  Action,      .... 

Rustic  Falls,  Golden  Gate  Road 

Cooking  Fish  in  the  Cone  of  a  Geyser, 

Beauty  Spring  Formation,  Yellowstone  Park, 

General  View  of  the  Norris  Basin  Geysers, 

Crystal  Cascade,  Yellowstone  Park, 

Crater  of  Castle  Geyser,  Yellowstone  Park, 

Gibbon  Falls,  Yellowstone  Park,       .         . 

Grand  Canon  of  the  Yellowstone, 

Yellowstone  River,  near  Mud  Geyser, 

Tower  Falls,  Yellowstone  Park, 

Petrified  Tree  in  the  Bad  Lands,  Dakota, 

Biscuit  Basin,  Yellowstone  Park, 

Crater  of  Oblong  Geyser,  Yellowstone  Park, 

Basaltic  Cation  of  Yellowstone  River, 

Limestone  Pinnacles  in  Big  Horn  Canon, 

A  Horse  Ranch  on  the  Little  Missouri, 

Grotto  Geyser,  Yellowstone  Park,     .... 

Harvest  Scene  on  the  Dalrymple  Farm,  Dakota, 

Lone  Star  Geyser  Cone,  Yellowstone  Park, 

A  Harvest-Field  in  Dakota,   .         .         . 

Black  Growler  Geyser,  Yellowstone  Park, 

Little  Fire-Hole  Falls,  Yellowstone  Park, 

An  Ecampment  of  Sioux  Indians,    .... 

Kepler's  Cascade,  Yellowstone  Park, 

Blackfeet  Indian  Camp, 

Giant,  Catfish,  and  Young  Faithful  Cones, 

A  Wigwam  on  the  Lonely  Prairie,     .... 


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Ferry  Across  Red  River  of  the  North, 

Dells  of  the  Sioux  River, 

Lover's  Leap,  Sioux  River, 

Devil's  Notch,  Sioux  River, 

Danger  Rock,  Sioux  River, 

Signal  Rock,  Elkhorn  Canon, 

Cabinet  Gorge,  Sioux  River, 

Needle  Points,  Custer  Park, 

Cathedral  Rock,  Elk  Creek  Canon, 

Summit  of  Harney 's  Peak,  Black  Hills,     . 

View  of  Bear  Butte,  Dakota, 

Harney's  Peak,  Black  Hills,      .         .         . 

The  Horseshoe,  in  Elk  Greek  Canon, 

Wedge  Rock,  near  Custer  City, 

Beecher  Rocks,  near  Custer  City, 

A  Chamber  in  Crystal  Cave,     . 

The  Chancel  in  Crystal  Cave, 

Devil's  Thumb,  Custer  Park,     . 

Devil's  Chair,  St.  Croix  River, 

Devil's  Tower  on  Belle  Fourche  River,     . 

Tea-Table  Rock,  Wisconsin  River, 

Dome  Rock  in  Custer  Park,  Black  Hills, 

Squaw's  Chamber,  Dells  of  the  Wisconsin, 

The  Narrows,  Dells  of  the  Wisconsin, 

Castle  Tower,  Dells  of  the  Wisconsin, 

Crow  Butte,  near  Crawford,  Nebraska,     . 


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Skylight  Cave,  Dells  of  the  Wisconsin 310 

Hawk's  Bill,  Dells  of  the  Wisconsin 310 

Mouth  of  Witches' Gulch,  Dells  of  the  Wisconsin, 310 

St.  Anthony's  Falls,  Minnesota, 311 

Fairies' Retreat,  Dells  of  the  Wisconsin, 312 

Whirlpool  Chamber,  Dells  of  the  Wisconsin, 312 

Witches' Gulch,  Dells  of  the  Wisconsin, 312 

Minnehaha  Falls  in  Summer,  Minnesota, 313 

Romance  Cliffs,  Dells  of  the  St.  Croix,         .......  313 

Signal  Rock,  near  Camp  Douglas, 314 

Minnehaha  Falls  in  Winter,         .         .         . 315 

Hornet's  Nest,  Dells  of  the  Wisconsin 316 

Cleopatra's  Needle,  Devil's  Lake 316 

Cleft  Rock,  Devil's   Lake 316 

Wagon  Bridge  over  the  St.  Croix, 317 

Chippewa  Indians  Building  a  Canoe 318 

Ceremony  of  Initiating  a  Medicine  Man,     .         .                                             .  319 

The  Sugar-Bowl,  Dells  of  the  Wisconsin, 320 

Ojibway  Indian  Village  and  Grave, 321 

Oconomowoc  Falls,  Wisconsin, 322 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Beleaguered  Castle,  Camp  Douglas,  Wisconsin, 
-Cave  of  the  Dark  Waters,  Lake  Superior, 
Miner's  Falls,  Lake  Superior,        .... 

White  Rock,  Lake  Superior 

Split  Rock,  Devil's  Lake,  Wisconsin, 

The  Old  Guard,  Devil's  Lake, 

Falls  of  St.  Louis  River,  British  America, 

Rapids  of  Montreal  River,  British  America, 

Giant's  Castle,  Camp  Douglas,      .         .      ..  • 

Sugar-Loaf,  Mackiuac  Island, 

Chimney  and  Bee  Rocks,  Camp  Douglas, 

Falls  of  Miner's  River  in  Winter,  Lake  Superior, 

The  Cascade  in  Winter,  Lake  Superior, 

Signal  Rock,  Camp  Douglas,     .... 

Nipigon  River,  North  Shore  of  Superior,     .         . 

Sand  Island  Arch,  Lake  Superior,     . 

The  Chapel,  Pictured  Rocks,  Lake  Superior, 

Abode  of  the  Genii,  Lake  Superior, 

Cave-of-the-Winds,  Lake  Superior, 

Exterior  View  of  the  Cave,         .... 

Bay  of   Isles,  Lake  Superior, 

Princess  Bay,  Lake  Superior,     .... 

The  Sea  Elephant,  Lake  Superior,        . 

Pad-Lock  Island,  Lake  Superior, 

The  Grand  Portal,  Lake  Superior, 

Lake  View  of  Grand  Portal,  Lake  Superior, 

Ice  Palace  at  St.  Paul 

Storming  the  Ice  Palace,  .... 

Peter's  Pillar,  Lake  Superior,        .  '      .         f      •. . 
Pigeon  River  Falls,  British  America, 
Old  Fort  Snelling,  on  Mississippi  River,       .        . 
Starved  Rock,  near  Ottawa,  Illinois,         .         . 
Basin  Springs,  Eureka  Springs,  Arkansas,  . 

The  Lookout  on  the  Mississippi,        .         .         . 
Barn  Bluff,  Upper  Mississippi,       .         .         .         . 
View  of  Fort  Snelliug  from  the  Mississippi, 
Harding  Spring,  Eureka  Springs,  Arkansas,        . 
American  Falls,  from  Goat  Island,  .        . 

Niagara  Frozen,       .         .  ;     .    .        .        . 

Bridal  Veil  Falls,  Niagara,  .         . 

Hector  Falls,  Watkin's  Glen,  in  Winter, 
Cavern  Cascade,  Watkin's  Glen,  in  Winter,     . 
Terraced  Falls,  Watkin's  Glen,  New  York, 
Watkin's  Cascade  Frozen,  .        , 

Giant's  Gorge,  Chateaugay  Chasm,  New  York, 
Whirlpool  Gorge,  Watkin's  Glen,     . 
Portland  Cascade,  Havana  Glen,  New  York, 


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Peek-a-boo  Falls,  Watkin's  Glen, 

Eagle  Falls,  Havana  Glen,  

Council  Chamber,  Watkin's  Glen,  

Giant  Falls,  Ausable  Chasm,  New  York, 

Bridal  Veil  Falls,  Havana  Glen, 

Elbow  Falls,  Ausable  Chasm,         ........ 

View  of  the  Thousand  Islands,  St.  Lawrence  River,       .         . 
Summit  of  White-Face  Mountain,  Adirondacks,  New  York, 

Ausable  River,  Head  of  the  Chasm, 

Kaaterskill  Falls,  Catskill  Mountains,  New  York,      .... 

Ausable  Chasm,  Below  the  Oven, 

Grand  Flume  in  Ausable  Chasm,  ....... 

Bogg's  River  Falls,  Adirondacks,  New  York,  .... 

Mount  Morris,  from  Tupper's  Lake,  New  York,  .         .         . 

Buttermilk  Falls,  Adirondacks,         ....... 

Adirondack  Lodge  and  Clear  Lake,       ....... 

West  Point,  from  Eagle's  Nest,          ....... 

Rainbow  Falls  in  Winter,  Adirondacks 

The  Hudson  Narrows,  near  Peekskill,      ...... 

Surprise  Falls,  Adirondacks,         ........ 

Bridge  over  Glen  Falls,  New  York, 

Looking  North  from  West  Point,  New  York 

Break-Neck  Hill  on  the  Hudson,      ....... 

Trophy  Garden,  West  Point, 

Storm  King  Mountain,  Hudson  River,     ...... 

Long  Gallery,  Ausable  Chasm 

Winooski  River  Gorge,  Vermont 

Toboggan  Slide,  Montreal,     ......... 

Chaudiere  Falls  in  Winter,  Ottawa,  Canada,  .... 

Montmorenci  Falls,  near  Quebec, 

Winter  Carnival  at  Montreal, 

St.  Anne  Falls,  near  Quebec,         .      '  . 

Scenery  along  the  line  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway, 

Winooski  Falls,  Vermont, 

A  Sylvan  Stream  in  the  Green  Mountains, 

Peacock  Falls,  Green  Mountains,          ...... 

Clarendon  Gorge,  Vermont,       .         . 

Winooski  River,  Vermont, 

A  Rural  Scene  in  Vermont,        ....... 

Falls  of  the  Ammoonoosuc,  White  Mountains,  . 

The  Flume,  Franconia  Mountains,  ...... 

Elephant's  Head  and  Mount  Webster, 

Crawford  House  Notch, 

Mount  Washington  and  Cog-Wheel  Railroad,      .... 

Squam  Lake,  New  Hampshire,  ....... 

Upper  Jackson  Falls,  Wild-Cat  River,  New  Hampshire,     . 

Light-House  in  Portland  Harbor,  Maine, 

Tower  Gate,  Crawford  Notch,  New  Hampshire,  .... 

Minot's  Ledge  Light-House,  off  Cohasset,  Massachusetts, 
Prospect  from  the  Summit  of  White  Mountains,  New  Hampshire, 


IO 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Cog-Wheel  Railway  up  Mount  Washington, 

Monument  at  Plymouth  Rock,  Massachusetts,     . 

Old  Tower  at  Newport,  Rhode  Island,      .     '    .         .         .        .        . 

Cliffs  at  Newport,  .         .         .         .        .        .         ..-..• 

Purgatory  Chasm,  near  Newport,       '.         ... 

Negro-Head  Cliffs,  near  Newport,          .         .         .  .        . 

Soldiers' Monument  at  New  Haven,  Connecticut, 

Balanced  Rock,  near  Pittsfield,  Massachusetts,  .... 

Cross  Rock,  near  Pittsfield,        .         . 

A  Mixed  Train  from  the  Wilderness,  . .      • 

Falling  Spring,  near  Warm  Springs,  Virginia,         .         .         .   t>    . 
Kanawha  Falls,  West  Virginia,      .         .         ...'.. 

Waiting  for  Time  to  Catch  Up,  .         .        .... 

Hawk's  Nest  and  Canon  of  the  Kanawha,  ..'        .  ••  . 

Galbraith  Springs,  East  Tennessee,          .._..•        .         .         ...... 

Falls  of  New  River,  West  Virginia,       .         .        .         .         .  •      . 

Passage  of  the  French  Broad  River  Through  the  Smoky  Mountains, 
Passage  of  the  James  River  Through  the  Blue  Ridge  Mountains, 
Scene  of  Rural  Life  in  North  Carolina,     ...... 

Pictured  Bluffs  on  New  River,  West  Virginia,      .         .         .     '    .        . 
Old  Man's  Face,  near  Asheville,  North  Carolina,  .         .         . 

View  of  the  French  Broad  River,  near  Asheville,         .        .         .        . 

Caesar's  Head,  Blue  Ridge  Range,     .         .      :  .        .    '    .    f   . 
Chimney  Rock,  near  the  French  Broad  River,     .         .     •    .     •    . 
Above  the  Clouds  on  Mitchell's  Peak,        .        .         .        .         . 

Little  River  Rapids,  North  Carolina,     . 

The  Summit  of  Mount  Mitchell, •   »         .  ' 

Cathedral  and  Throne  in  Luray  Cavern,  Virginia,       .       •  .         .        . 
Bridal  Veil  Falls,  Dingman's  Ferry,  Pennsylvania,         ... 
Titania's  Veil,  Luray  Caverns,       .         .         ....        •.        : 

Colosseum  Falls,  Dingman's  Ferry,         .         .         .         .       ..','. 

The  Ball-Room,  Luray  Caverns,    .         .        .        .     •  .         . 

Factory  Falls,  Dingman's  Ferry,       .        .        .        .  '      .         . 

Saracen's  Tent,  Luray  Caverns,     . . 

Cadedenean  Falls,  Dingman's  Ferry,        .         .         . 

Farm  Scene  in  the  Valley  of  the  Shenandoah,    .         . 

Harper's  Ferry,  from  Bolivar  Heights,     .         .       ..         .... 

Horseshoe  Curve  at  Kittaning,  Pennsylvania, 

Little  Neck  of  the  Susquehanua  River,  .         .         .         .         . 

Tomb  over  the  Grave  of  Washington's  Mother,         .         .       . .  • 

Devil's  Den,  Battle-field  of  Gettysburg,  .' 

Round  Top,  overlooking  the  Battle-field  of  Gettysburg, 

A  Village  Scene  of  Happy  Content  in  Virginia,      .         .         . 

An  Old  Colonial  House  at  Appomattox,  Virginia,        .... 


PAGE 
406 
407 
408 
400 
410 
411 
41-2 
413 
414 
415 
41G 
417 
418 
419 
420 
421 
422 
423 
424 
425 
426 
427 
428 
420 
430 
431 
432 
433 
434 
43.-> 
436 
437 
438 
430 
440 
441 
443 
444 
447 
449 
450 
451 
452 
453 


PACK 

Fortress  Monroe,  Virginia,         .........  454 

An  Old  Cabin  Home  in  Georiga, 455 

Drummond's  Lake,  in  Great  Dismal  Swamp,         .....  450 

Old  Fort  and  Sea- Wall,  at  St.  Augustine,  Florida 457 

A  Hunter's  Cabin  in  the  Dismal  Swamp, 458 

Ponce  de  Leon  Hotel,  St.  Augustine,    .         .         .        ;        ...         .         .  459 

Bonaventure  Cemetery,  Savannah,  Georgia,  460- 

Old  City  Gates,  St.  Augustine,       .         .         .        .'.'...         .  461 

A  Home  in  the  Mountains  of  Georgia,      .      -•.•••..        .         .        .  462 

Among  the  Palmettos,  on  the  Halifax  River,  •    .•       .        .        .         .         .  463- 


Head  of  Halifax  River,  above  Ormond,  Florida, 
Avenue  of  Moss-Covered  Oaks,  near  Ormond,     . 
Palmetto  Huts,  near  Titusville,  Florida, 
Rubber,  or  Banyan  Tree,  on  Banana  River,  Florida, 
In  the  Deep  Palmetto  Solitudes,  Indian  River, 
Rockledge,  on  Indian  River,  Florida,  .      "  . 

Spouting  Rock,  near  Jupiter,  Florida,      .         . 
Orange  Grove  at  Rockledge,         .... 
Lake  Okeechobee,  Florida, 


4G4 
4«5 
460 
467 
46S 
469^ 
470- 
471 
472: 

A  Pine-Apple  Grove  at  Eden,  Florida 473- 

A  Camp  of  Consumptives,  near  Lake  Worth,  Florida,    .... 

A  Banana  Grove  in  Florida,  .        .         *        .        .         .      ^. 

The  One-Ox  Shay  in  Florida,  .         .         ....        . ' 

A  Cocoanut  Grove,  Banks  of  Lake  Worth,  .         .         .         ... 

Scene  on  the  Ocklawaha  River,  Florida,         ••    . .    ,        •.         .         . 

Orange  Grove  near  Palatka,  Florida,  ...         .'.._•         . 

Excursion  Launch  on  Run  River,  Florida,       .         .        .        .      •  . 

A  Palmetto  Glade,  near  Palatka,          '.        .         .         .         .... 

Silver  Spring  and  Ocklawaha  Steamboat,         .         .        .         .        . 

Home  of  the  Orange-Pickers,        .        . 

Scene  on  the  Suwannee  River,  .         .         «         ;       i;     x   .         .         . 

A  Home  in  the  Shade  of  Southern  Pines,     .         .        .  \  .  . 

A  Baptizing  in  the  Suwannee  River,         .         .        .      '  .         .... 

A  Section  of  Bienville  Park,  Mobile,     .         .        .        .         .         .         . 

Avenue  of  Tombs,  Washington  Cemetery,  New  Orleans, 

A  Plantation  Home  in  Mississippi,        .        .        ....         .        . 

Fairy  Grotto,  Mammoth  Cave,  Kentucky, 

Old  Stone  House,  Mammoth  Cave, 

Giant's  Coffin,  Mammoth  Cave,         .         . 

The  Bridal  Altar,  Mammoth  Cave, 

The  River  Styx,  Mammoth  Cave, 

Monument  Mountain,  in  Wallace's  Dome,  Wyandotte  Caverns, 

Entrance  to  Pillared  Palace,  Wyandotte  Cave 

The  Throne,  Wyandotte  Cave,        .         . 


LIST  OF  CAMERAGRAPHS. 


SHOSHONE  TUNNEL,   CANON   OF   GRAND   RIVER, 
CLIFFS  OF  THE  GRAND  CANON   OF  THE   COLORADO, 
A   CACTUS   GARDEN  IN   SOUTHERN   CALIFORNIA, 
SITKA   BAY,    ALASKA, 


PAGE 

65 

81 

163 

232 


WINTER  AT  NIAGARA,     .        .    .     . 
HELL  GATE,   AUSABLE   CHASM, 
NATURAL  BRIDGE  OF  VIRGINIA, 
WINTER   IN   FLORIDA, 


474 
47* 

476- 
477 
478- 
479 
480- 
481 
482: 
483 
484- 
485 
486 
487 
488 
489 
491 
493 
405 
497 
499 
500 
501 
502 


PAGE 

350 
364 

420 
476 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


T  THE  most  interesting,  because  most  diversified,  country  in  the  world  is  America,  and  the  center  of  that  unexampled 
\  /  interest  belongs  to  the  territory  comprised  within  the  United  States.  The  castles  of  England,  crushed  by  the  hand 
<&  ®  of  time;  the  lochs  and  friths  of  Scotland,  that  murmur  to  the  sea  their  wails  of  the  Viking  invaders;  the  lakes  and 
heaths  of  Ireland,  around  which  old  legends  hold  perpetual  carnival;  the  Rhine  of  Germany,  whose  banks  are 
$L  strewn  with  the  relics  of  feudalism ;  the  Bernese  Alps,  that  flaunt  their  whitened  locks  like  aged  giants  taunting 
the  walled  cities  about  which  the  sound  of  battle  still  seems  to  linger;  the  red  glare  of  Vesuvius,  wrestling  with 
fiery  wrath  in  mad  ambition  to  overwhelm  the  cities  built  upon  her  ashes;  the  roar  and  blaze  of  /Etna,  that  growls  with 
the  voice  of  Polyphemus  thirsting  for  the  life  of  Ulysses;  the  hills  of  Greece,  on  which  a  thousand  gods  held  council ;  the 
welling  breast  of  Mother  Nile,  carrying  to  the  sea  remembrances  of  her  ancient  children;  the  Holy  Land,  blooming  with 
sacred  memories  that  fill  the  human  heart  with  fragrance;  the  mighty  peaks  of  Himalayas,  piercing  the  heavens  with 
frosted  heads  and  draped  with  the  fogs  of  centuries;  the  plains  of  Asshur,  where  Babylon  stood,  and  the  wrath  of  God 
was  kindled.  All  these,  and  more,  speak  with  siren  tongue  to  lure  the  traveler  and  give  him  appetite  for  history.  But,  if 
we  except  the  associations  which  make  these  places  of  the  Old  World  memorable,  the  student  of  nature  will  find  a  thou 
sand  greater  charms  in  the  picturesque,  grand,  marvelous  and  sublime  scenery  that  diversifies  our  own  country.  No 
picture  has  ever  equaled  the  real,  and  no  book  has  ever  vividly  described  the  wonders  that  God  has  scattered  over  the 
American  landscape.  We  have  had  glimpses  of  mountain,  plain,  lake,  river  and  canon,  but  they  have  been  little  more  than 
shadows  of  the  reality,  an  intimation  of  a  grandeur  almost  too  great  to  depict.  But  as  great  telescopes  have  brought  within 
our  vision  surprising  views  of  other  worlds,  the  rings  of  Saturn,  the  seas  of  Mars,  and  the  burnt-out  craters  of  the  Moon,  so 
has  inventive  genius  been  active  in  delineating  the  physical  features  of  the  earth,  and  through  the  perfection  of  photography 
we  are  now  practically  enabled  to  take  the  world  in  our  hand  and  examine  it  with  the  same  convenience  that  we  can  an 
orange.  Travel  is  no  longer  necessary  for  the  masses  in  order  to  behold  the  marvels  of  American  scenery,  for  the  camera 
has  gathered  them  all  and  lays  every  inspiring  scene  upon  even  the  poor  man's  table,  to  minister  to  the  delight  of  his  family 
circle.  But  photography  likewise  blesses  the  traveler,  for  study  of  the  picture  establishes  acquaintanceship  with  that  which 
is  represented,  while  accompanying  description  quickens  his  understanding  and  gives  a  more  intelligent  conception  of  the 
pictorial  subject. 

It  has  been  my  good  fortune  to  make  many  trips  across  the  continent  over  the  various  railway  lines;  and  business 
and  pleasure  have  taken  me  during  the  past  several  years  to  nearly  all  the  accessible  parts  of  the  country,  reached  by  rail, 
boat  or  stage-coach.  Always  an  admirer  of  nature,  I  have  longed  for  the  means  to  sketch  or  photograph  the  imposing 
scenery  which  caught  my  enraptured  eye  as  I  hurried  by.  This  ambition  prompted  the  really  stupendous  undertaking 
whose  fruitage  is  now  offered  to  the  public  in  all  its  delicious  flavor,  in  the  form  of  a  book  as  herewith  submitted. 

How  the  photographic  views  herein  reproduced  were  obtained  may  be  thus  briefly  told,  and  is  well  worthy  the 
relation :  This  book  was  conceived  more  than  half  a  dozen  years  ago,  but  a  press  of  other  engagements  caused  a  postpone- 

ii 


12 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


ment  of  any  effort  at  its  preparation  until  the  spring  of  1890,  when  the  publishers  engaged  a  corps  of  artists,  consisting  of 
three  of  the  best  out-door  photographers  in  the  country.  A  passenger  car  was  next  chartered,  which  was  remodeled  so  as 
to  provide  comfortable  sleeping  quarters  for  the  men  in  one  end,  a  kitchen  in  the  other,  while  the  center  was  fitted  up  as 
an  operating-room  for  taking,  developing  and  finishing  pictures.  Three  cameras,  of  as  many  sizes,  were  also  provided,  with 
three  thousand  prepared  plates,  and  a  great  quantity  of  paraphernalia  which  might  be  found  useful  for  the  expedition. 

Thus  equipped,  our  photographic  party  left  St.  Louis  early  in  May,  going  directly  west  to  Denver,  from  which  point  we 
made  excursions  to  all  the 
near-lying  parks,  thence  to 
Manitou,  and  by  way  of  the 
Colorado  Midland  to  Salt 
Lake.  Our  work  about  Salt 
Lake  occupied  considerable 
time,  and  after  leaving  there 
we  proceeded  to  Weber 
Canon  and  then  by  way 
of  the  Union  Pacific  to  Sho- 
shone  Falls.  We  next  re 
turned  by  way  of  the 
Denver  and  Rio  Grande 
Railroad,  making  a  sweep 
southward,  through  Ouray 
and  the  Valley  of  the  Gun- 
nison,  over  Marshall  Pass 
and  to  Pueblo  by  way  of 
the  Royal  Gorge.  Our  party 
divided  several  times  in 
order  to  cover  the  territory 
more  expeditiously,  and  in 
making  the  trip  into  New 
Mexico  one  part  entered  by  A  FAMILY  OF  PUEBLO  INDIANS,  NEW  MEXICO. 

way  of  Trinidad  from  Pueblo  and  the  other  traveled  directly  south  through  Antonito,  forming  a  junction  again  at  Sante  Fe. 
Some  weeks  were  spent  traveling  off  the  line  of  road  among  the  ruined  villages  of  the  Cliff-Dwellers,  and  in  photo 
graphing  the  more  rugged  scenery  of  the  Rio  Grande  River.  Then  we  continued  our  journey  westward  over  the  Atlantic  and 
Pacific  and  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroads  to  California,  where  nearly  three  months  were  spent  among  the  towns,  Yosemite 
Valley,  Big  Trees  and  mountains  of  that  summer-land.  On  the  appearance  of  spring  we  traveled  north  by  way  of  the 
California  and  Oregon  Railroad,  still  making  side  trips  by  stage-coach  and  wagon,  to  Portland,  from  which  point  excur 
sions  were  made  up  the  Columbia  and  Willamette  Rivers.  At  Victoria,  British  Columbia,  we  took  steamer  for  Alaska,  and 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


returning  we  passed  through  the  Cascade 
Range  over  the  Northern  Pacific,  work 
ing  our  way  back  east.  But  we  con 
tinued  to  make  detours  a  long  way  off 
the  main  line  of  road,  thus  visiting  the 
Falls  of  the  Missouri,  the  Black  Hills, 
the  Custer  battle-field,  Devil's  Tower, 
and  Yellowstone  National  Park,  in  which 
latter  wonderland  we  spent  two  weeks 
photographing  its  scenery  and  extraordi 
nary  formations. 

More  than  three-fourths  of  the 
grandest  views  were  inaccessible  by 
rail,  so  other  means  of  travel  had  to  be 
adopted.  Often  it  was  by  stage-coach, 
but  frequently  donkeys  were  our  sole 


'WHALE-BACK"  BOAT  of  the  NORTHERN  LAKES. 


GOVERNOR'S  RESIDENCE,  PUEBLO  OF 
TESUQUE,  NEW  MEXICO. 

Mississippi  through  Lake  Pepin,  and 
back  to  St.  Louis,  the  entire  trip  occupy 
ing  more  than  eighteen  months. 

Our  camera  car  had  served  our  pur 
poses  in  a  most  gratifying  manner  while 
making  the  long  tour  of  the  West,  but 
in  the  eastern  tour,  which  remained  to 
be  performed,  it  was  considered  that  the 
car  would  be  of  no  special  advantage, 
since  accommodations  are  so  much  more 
easily  obtained  in  the  built-up  sections 
of  the  East  than  in  the  thinly  and  some 
times  totally  unsettled  districts  of  the 
West,  where  in  many  cases  our  car 


13 

reliance;  and  when  these  little  animals 
could  not  carry  us  to  the  most  rugged 
points,  we  shouldered  our  instruments 
and  scrambled  to  the  peaks  and  abysses 
of  necessary  observation.  The  difficul 
ties,  dangers  and  hardships  thus 
encountered  were  both  great  and  numer 
ous,  while  the  expense  involved  was  so 
far  beyond  our  first  calculations,  that 
had  it  been  anticipated  in  the  beginning 
the  enterprise  would  certainly  never 
have  been  undertaken. 

We  resumed  our  eastward  journey 
thence  to  Superior  Lake,  Dells  of  the 
St.  Croix,  rapids  of  the  Wisconsin,  lakes 
and  waterfalls  of  Minnesota,  the  Upper 


THE  URNS,  MANITOU  PARK. 


i4  AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

was  our  only  shelter.  The  journey  east  was  begun  in  October,  from  St.  Louis  to  Chicago,  thence  to  Niagara  Falls,  and 
then  up  the  St.  Lawrence.  Our  route  next  lay  through  the  Green  and  White  Mountains,  and  other  famous  sections  of  the 
New  England  States;  thence  west  into  the  Adirondacks,  Mohawk  Valley  and  Lakes  George  and  Champlain,  then  down  the 
picturesque  Hudson  into  the  Catskills.  Continuing  our  journey  southward,  we  visited  the  points  of  grandest  scenery  in 
Virginia,  North  Carolina  and  Eastern  Tennessee,  and  then  proceeded  on  to  Florida,  where  a  part  of  the  winter  was  spent 
photographing  everything  worthy  of  a  place  in  this  volume.  On  the  return  trip  Mammoth  Cave  in  Kentucky,  and 
Wyandotte  Cave,  in  Indi 
ana,  received  our  attention, 
as  well  as  other  interesting 
places  along  the  way,  and 
early  in  February  our  labors 
were  ended  by  a  return  to 
St.  Louis  to  put  the  results 
in  book  form.  Nearly  all 
the  descriptive  writing  was 
done  while  our  party  was 
on  the  way,  and  while  the 
impressions  produced  by 
the  glorious  visions  were 
fresh  in  the  author's  mind. 
This  work,  accordingly,  is 
practically  one  of  inspira 
tion,  the  whole  constituting 
a  story  of  extraordinary  in 
terest  and  a  history  of 
incomparable  value. 

Illustrations,  however 
fine,  whether  of  wood  or 
steel,  represent  the  artist's 
conceptions,  dashed  with  an 
individual  coloring  that  pre-  ON  THE  OCKLAWAHA  RIVER,  FLORIDA. 

vents  a  natural  reproduction.  The  painter  sketches  his  landscape  from  a  special  point  of  view,  and  working  many  days 
blends  the  sunrise  with  midday  and  sunset,  the  mists  of  morning  with  the  clouds  of  noon,  thus  striving  to  please  the  eye 
rather  than  to  truthfully  present  nature,  without  artificial  adornments. 

Photography,  on  the  other  hand,  is  the  mirror  which  reflects  nature  in  all  her  changeful  moods ;  the  absolutely 
faithful  reproducer  of  her  every  aspect,  exhibiting  her  in  her  every-day  garb,  noting  the  disfigurements  with  no  less 
fidelity  than  the  sublime  graces  which  she  exhibits  and  all  the  widely  diversified  physical  features  which  render  her 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS.  15 

countenance  so  variable  that  admirer  and  scoffer  alike  find  reason  for  urging  tfierr  claims.  No  other  attempt  has  ever  been 
made  to  so  perfectly  picture  the  wonders  of  America,  and  the  work  has  been  so  thoroughly  accomplished  that  it  is 
confidently  believed  no  one,  however  great  his  ambition  or  lavish  his  expense,  will  be  able  to  add  anything  to  the 
completeness  of  our  undertaking,  as  here  submitted.  Whatever  may  be  the  measure  of  deserving  of  the  descriptive  part 
of  this  book,  certainly  the  photographic  illustrations  are  worthy  of  all  praise  as  fulfilling  the  conditions  of  masterpieces  of 
American  scenery,  while  the  publishers  are  entitled  to  most  generous  public  recognition  for  conceiving  and  so  liberally 

endowing  an  enterprise, 
which  has  flowered  in  the 
fragrance  and  beauty  of  this 
exquisite  work. 

It  is  seemly  to  add  that 
our  tour  was  made  wholly 
at  the  expense  of  the  pub 
lishers.  Free  transportation 
was  offered  us  over  all  the 
railroads  on  which  we  trav 
eled,  but  all  such  courtesies 
were  uniformly  refused,  be 
cause  an  acceptance  would 
have  placed  us  under  obli 
gations  to  manifest  some 
favoritism,  and  thus  inter 
fere  with  the  declared  pur 
pose  of  the  publishers  to 
issue  a  work  on  American 
scenery  in  which  the  views 
and  descriptions  should  be 
given  truthfully,  and  with 
out  partiality.  We  therefore 
selected  the  routes  which 
promised  most  satisfactory 
ON  THE  SUMMIT  OF  MOUNT  TACOMA,  OREGON.  results  without  regard  to 

personal  convenience,  having  in  view  the  ambition  to  present  and  describe  the  most  interesting,  if  not  always  the  most 
famous,  scenery  of  our  country,  and  in  so  doing  produce  a  work  of  which  all  Americans,  like  the  publishers,  may  be  justly 
proud.  In  this  our  celebrant  year  such  a  book  is  particularly  appropriate,  and  the  hope  of  the  publishers,  as  it  is  of  the 
author,  is  that  our  ambitious  and  worthy  enterprise  may  find  a  warm  welcome  at  the  fireside  of  every  American  family. 


VIEW  OF  FORT  WRANGEL,  ALASKA. 


CHAPTER  I. 

AMONG  THE  WILD  SCENES  OF  COLORADO. 


"Go  abroad 

Upon  the  paths  of  Nature,  and  when  all 
Its  voices  whisper,  and  its  silent  things 
Are  breathing  the  deep  mystery  of  the  World. 
Kneel  at  its  ample  altar." 


PIKE'S    PEAK    FROM    COLORADO    SPRINGS. 


ENTHUSIASM  sometimes 
exaggerates  the  reality, 
just  as  colored  glass 
confuses  the  sight;  but 
.~  when  it  serves  to  please 
without  doing  harm, 
the  fault  may  be  pardoned.  To 
the  enthusiasm  of  the  occasion, 
and  our  great  and  unique  enter 
prise,  may  therefore  be  charged 
the  burst  of  admiration  that 
manifested  our  feelings,  when, 
rolling  along  the  prairies  on  the 
Union  Pacific  R.  R.,  we  saw, 
rising  far  to  the  southwest, 
nearly  one  hundred  miles  away, 
the  broad  shoulders  of  Pike's 
Peak,  breaking  into  russet 
above  the  clouds  and  showing 
a  head  of  saffron,  mellowed  by 
the  soft  rays  of  a  sun  just  falling 
into  the  deep  valleys  of  the 
Occident.  It  was  the  chief 
object  to  chain  our  attention  for 
the  while,  and  this  first  impres 
sion  awakened  most  delightful 


anticipations  of  the  work  which  lay  before  us.  A  few  hours  later  we  were  in  Denver,  making  final  preparations  for  a  photographing  tour 
of  the  picturesque  West.  Fortunately,  our  arrangements  were  so  nearly  complete  upon  leaving  St.  Louis  that  only  a  short  stay  in  Denver 
was  necessary,  and  it  was  with  eager  desire  that  we  had  our  car  attached  to  a  Union  Pacific  train  and  started  for  the  heart  of  the  Rockies. 
The  long  range  of  mountains,  rising  into  sharp  peaks,  and  again  spreading  their  tops  into  truncated  cones,  elbowing  and  pushing  each 
other  like  a  brigade  in  too  close  quarters  at  parade-rest,  are  only  fifteen  miles  from  Denver,  forming  a  grand  background  to  an  immense 
17  2 


i8 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


expanse  of  prairie  landscape.  Starting  on  the  Colorado  Central  Branch  of  the  Union  Pacific,  we  soon  pass  through  the  gate-way  of  the 
Rockies;  thence  on  to  Golden,  a  beautiful  mining  town  that  nestles  in  the  bed  of  a  dried-tip  lake,  and  looks  up  with  pleasing  satisfaction 
to  the  guardian  gods  of  North  and  South  Table  Mountains.  Here  a  stop 
is  made  for  a  trip  up  Bear  Creek  Canon,  which  is  reached  by  stage,  by 
which  conveyance  the  traveler  is  trundled  into  a  gorge  of  surpassing 
beauty  and  noble  grandeur.  Through  this  great  gash  the  water  dashes, 
swollen  by  melting  snows,  and  fed  by  a  thousand  sources.  On  either  side 
the  frowning  and  dusky  walls,  weaving  a  tortuous  way  like  the  path  of  a 
drunken  giant,  rear  up  their  castellated  heads  until  they  remind  us  of  the 
walled  cities  of  Jericho,  over  which  Joshua's  spies  were  lowered  by  Rahab. 
!*  Only  a  few  miles  from  Golden  is  Clear  Creek  Canon,  another  won 

drous  cleavage  wrought  by  water  that  goes  tumbling  through  the  passage 
with  nimble  of  breakers  and  roar  of  waterfall.  The  walls  of  the  canon 
rise  perpendicularly  to  varying  heights  of  500  to  1,500  feet,  and  at  places 
approach  so  near  to  each  other  that  an  observer  looking  upward  from  the 
cavernous  depths  can  see  only  a  thin  strip  of  blue  sky.  Away  up  on  the 
brows  of  the  parallel  cliffs  are  large  trees  that  look  like  feather  dusters, 
and  little  streams  of  liquid  silver  appear  in  the  distance  to  be  pouring  their 
contributions  from  crevice  and  apex  to  swell  the  mad  creek  that  rushes 
with  complaining  voice  down  the  age-swept  gorge.  Along  this  water-bed 
was  formerly  the  roadway,  or  trail,  used  by  freight-wagons  and  stage 
coaches,  but  it  is  now  become  the  exclusive  thoroughfare  of  the  Central 
Branch,  so  that  the  magnificent  view  which  the  canon  affords  is  before 
the  eyes  of  railroad  travelers. 

Less  than  three  miles  from  Georgetown  is  Green  Lake,  an  exquisite 
body  of  water  which  has  been  very  appropriately  called  the  Gem  of  the 
Mountain.  Its  translucent  depths  are  animated  by  myriads  of  trout  that 
are  tinged  by  the  green  waters  to  the  color  of  emeralds,  while  away  down 
in  its  profound  recesses  is  distinguishable  a  forest  of  stately  trees  which 
has  been  swept  into  the  lake  by  some  glacial  avalanche.  Not  a  branch 
appears  to  have  been  broken  or  a  position  disturbed,  for  the  trees  stand 
boldly  upright  in  all  their  original  gracefulness,  but  through  calcareous 
depositions,  that  are  a  peculiarity  of  this  lake,  they  have  been  converted 
into  stone.  Thus  it  is  a  submerged  forest  of  petrified  trees. 

Looking  beyond  the  lake  we  perceive,  some  seven  miles  away,  the 
famous  Argenta  Pass,  the  summit  of  which  is  reached  by  the  highest 
wagon-road  in  the  world,  and  from  this  elevation  an  almost  boundless 
and  marvelously  picturesque  view  may  be  had,  stretching  away  to  the  west 
as  far  as  Holy  Cross  Mount,  and  eastward  to  the  prairies  of  Kansas. 

But  we  have  now  reached  the  backbone  of  the  divide  and  our  train  MARSHALL  FALLS,  CLEAR  CREEK  CANON 


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20 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


starts  down  the  western  grade,  circling  like  a  hawk  out  of  the  sky.  Over  immense  fills,  through  deep  cuts,  across  bridges,  following  a 
swiftly-flowing  stream,  until  at  length  we  gain  the  level  valley  and  go  dashing  away  to  Graymont,  on  the  way  to  Idaho  Springs  and  George 
town.  To  avoid  tunneling  in  crossing  the  divide,  the  railroad  winds  around  the  mountain  elevations,  up  a  steep  grad<^,  over  a  way 
that  has  been  blasted  out  of  the  eternal  rocks,  until  from  away  up  the  lofty  sides  the  traveler  may  look  upon  a  scene  of  marvelous  beauty 
•and  ruggedness  that  fades  into  indistinctness  miles  below.  Leaning  out  of  the  car  window  we  view  a  wondrous  panorama,  and  pause 
directly  to  bring  our  cameras  into  use,  that  the  scene  may  be  caught  and  held  on  paper.  There  on  one  side  of  the  depths  is  Devil's 
•Gate,  in  close  proximity,  as  it  seems,  to  Bridal  Veil  Falls,  where  the  clear  mountain  stream  plunges  over  a  precipice  of  great  height 
to  join  the  gamboling  creek  that  nishes  away  on  its  errand  hundreds  of  feet  below.  There,  too,  is  a  spider's  web  of  steel,  eighty-six  feet 
high,  that  has  served  as  a  passage-way 
for  our  train  across  a  chasm  300  feet 
wide,  whose  bottom  can  scarcely  be 
distinguished  from  our  lofty  eminence; 
but  we  see  that  the  track  makes  a 
complete  loop,  and  that  the  road 
parallels  itself,  at  a  constantly  increas 
ing  grade,  no  less  than  three  times. 
All  the  while  that  we  are  winding 
around  and  crossing  our  own  track, 
Georgetown  continues  visible,  but  it  is 
dwarfed  by  the  distance  to  the  appear 
ance  of  a  prairie-dog  village. 

The  picturesqueness  of  the  route 
now  changes  from  wild  scenery  of  lofty 
mountain  and  the  dark  awesomeness  of 
deep  canon,  to  a  park-like  landscape, 
through  tillable  lands,  and  on  to  Silver 
Plume,  a  great  feat  of  mining  engineer 
ing,  and  beautiful  beyond  description. 
Gray's  Peak  rises  like  a  giant  phantom 
a  few  miles  beyond,  and  becomes  a 
charming  signet  in  the  ring  of  park 

and   town  of  Graymont  that  lies  near 

its  feet  CHALK  CLIFFS,   CLEAR  CREEK  CANON. 

Returning  east  a  distance  of  twenty  miles,  a  junction  is  reached  at  Fork's  Creek,  where  another  branch  of  the  Union  Pacific  leads  to 
Central  City  and  Black  Hawk.  Here  a  marvelous  thing  is  to  be  seen:  The  two  towns  are  only  a  mile  apart,  measured  by  a  straight  line, 
yet  so  fearfully  nigged  is  the  territory  to  be  traversed  that  the  distance  by  rail  between  the  places  is  four  miles,  and  this  interval  is  covered 
by  means  of  a  "  Switch  Back,"  so  called  because  of  the  tortuous  route  and  the  extraordinary  grades.  All  along  this  vicinity  are  famous 
mines,  and  a  wealth  of  mining  machinery,  that  converts  the  country  into  a  maze  of  industry,  and  the  mountains  into  smoking  mills  and 
cornucopias  of  silver.  In  this  mountainous  region  all  roads  seem  to  radiate  from  Denver,  and  hence  to  reach  other  charming  scenery 
by  means  of  our  camera  car,  it  was  necessary  to  return  again  for  a  trip  to  Gunnison,  which  is  on  the  South  Park  Branch.  But  in  order  to 


22 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


facilitate  our  work  it  was  decided  to  divide 
our  party,  so  that  oue  photographer  might 
proceed  to  Gunnison,  while  the  other  two 
took  the  northwest  route  to  Estes  and 
Middle  Park,  where  a  larger  amount  of 
work  was  to  be  done,  and  which  could  be 
reached  only  by  stage. 

Continuing  our  trip,  therefore,  towards 
the  southwest,  our  first  stop  was  in  Platte 
Canon,  which  is  twenty  miles  from  Denver, 
and  there  many  exquisite  views  were  taken. 
This  canon,  formed  by  the  Platte  River, 
resembles  Clear  Creek  Canon,  but  is  longer 
and  somewhat  wilder.  The  route  is  over 
Kenosha  Hill,  which  is  Alpine  in  its  grand 
eur,  and  so  nigged  that  the  road  is  as 
sinuous  as  the  trail  of  a  serpent.  The 
canon  spreads  at  places  until  it  runs  be 
tween  gradually  sloping  steeps,  but  again 
the  walls  draw  closer,  and  rise  perpendicu 
larly  to  a  sheer  height  of  a  thousand  feet, 
excluding  the  sunlight  except  as  it  is 
strained  at  times  through  a  narrow  rift, 
until  it  looks  like  a  pencil  of  light  cleaving 
the  pall  of  night.  What  mighty  forces 
were  gathered  here  in  the  age  of  the  world's 
infancy!  what  terrific  convulsions  and 
frenzied  spasms  of  nature  that  rent  in  twain 
the  earth's  envelope  and  left  canons  and 
mountains  where  once  were  lake  and  plain! 

Along  the  way  rushes  the  impetuous 
Platte  River,  that  has  torn  and  eroded  a 
great  fissure  through  the  rocks,  and  in  so 
doing  has  left  many  wonderful  incongruities 
to  mark  its  eccentricity  as  well  as  power. 

Dome  Rock  is  one  of  the  conspicuous 
curiosities  in  the  canon,  resembling  as  it 
does,  the  top  of  a  mosque  that  has  sunk  just 
behind  the  wall  of  beetling  cliff,  leaving 
a  graceful  dome  as  its  burial  monument. 


ARGENTA   FALLS. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


But  all  along,  at  frequent  intervals,  spires,  with  cathedral  proportions,  shoot  skyward,  lending  an  appearance  not  unlike  a  vast  row  of 
churches,  where  we  may  fancy  nature  worships,  and  the  roar  of  waters  is  a  perpetual  hymnal  invocation.  On  the  same  route,  fifty  miles 
from  Platte  Canon,  is  the  Alpine  Tunnel,  which  is  reached  by  the  road 
winding  about  and  upward  until  a  height  of  11,600  feet  is  gained,  when, 
suddenly,  the  train  makes  an  abrupt  turn,  and  leaps  into  the  very  bowels 
of  a  mountain  from  which  it  emerges  after  many  minutes  on  the  other  side, 
and  then  descends  towards  the  Pacific.  This  tunnel  is  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  in  all  the  world.  It  is  at  the  highest  point  ever  reached  by 
any  railroad  in  America,  and  in  the  center  of  its  1,773  feet  of  length  is 
the  dividing  line  of  altitude  between  the  two  oceans.  The  boring  of  this 
mighty  channel  not  only  involved  the  naturally  stupendous  labor  of  dig 
ging  through  a  mountain,  but  the  work  was  rendered  a  hundred  fold 
more  difficult  by  reason  of  the  rare  atmosphere  in  which  the  workmen  had 
to  labor.  In  addition  to  this,  70,000  linear  feet  of  California  redwood  was 
required  for  the  inside  bracing,  and  this  had  to  be  brought  up  the  mountain 
side  on  the  backs  of  burroes,  the  only  animals  of  burden  that  could  make 
the  ascent.  It  was  a  remarkable  undertaking;  its  accomplishment  was 
very  like  a  miracle. 

As  we  emerge  from  the  tunnel,  and  creep  around  the  perpendicular 
side  of  the  mountain  on  a  roadway  barely  wide  enough  to  accommodate  a 
single  train  of  cars,  a  bewilderingly  magnificent  panorama  opens  to  us. 
Away  towards  the  southwest,  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  we  observe  the 
lofty  and  regular  heads  of  the  San  Juan  range,  while  a  little  further  west 
we  are  able  to  distinguish  Uncompaghre  Peak,  that  looks  down  with 
benignant  aspect  upon  the  town  of  Ouray.  There,  too,  is  the  green  and 
happy  valley  of  the  Gunnison,  towards  the  end  of  which  we  see  Elk 
Mountains  and  their  chief  peaks,  Mount  Gothic  and  Crested  Butte. 

At  this  great  height  the  snow  lies  packed  in  the  deep  crevices  all 
summer  through,  while  upon  its  borders  may  be  seen  beautiful  flowers 
nodding  their  bright  heads  in  the  delightful  wind  that  plays  about  the 
peak.  Now  we  go  down  the  mountain  side  with  brakes  set,  marveling  all 
the  way  at  the  natural  wonders  which  have  been  strewn  by  some  Titanic 
hand  along  the  route.  There,  on  the  right,  are  the  Palisades,  which 
might  be  called  sculptured  rocks,  so  graceful  and  artistic  that  they  appear 
to  be  the  creation  of  the  great  Phidias,  or  pupils  of  his  school.  Further 
on  lies  Quartz  Valley,  like  a  pearl  nestling  in  depths  far  below  the  angry 
waves  of  giant  mountains.  Now  we  cross  Quartz  Creek,  where  nature 
laughs  with  blossoms  and  fruitage,  through  Uncompaghre,  around  Hair- 
Pin  Curve,  with  the  Fossil  range  to  our  right,  by  Juniata  Hot  Springs, 
and  at  length  arrive  at  Gunnison.  We  are  now  in  the  midst  of  the  most  BRIDAL  VEIL  FALLS,  NEAR  DEVIL'S  GATE. 


VALLEY  OF  THE  GUNNISON,   NEAR  SAPINERO. 


26 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


magnificent  mountain  scenery,  and  in  the  heart  of  a  great  mining  country,  where  there  is  bustle  above  ground  and  activity  and  visions  of 
amazing  wealth  underneath.  The  town  is  at  an  elevation  of  more  than  7,000  feet,  but  many  peaks  rise  high  above  it,  from  which 
extensive  views  may  be  had  of  the  Elk  Mountain,  San  Juan  and  Uncompaghre  ranges,  while  to  the  southwest  a  beautiful  valley  stretches 
away  to  mark  the  devious  path  of  the  Gunnison  River. 

Having  taken  many  views  of  this  famous  region,  we  turned  back  again  to  Denver,  and  from  that  point  of  radiation  started  for  North 
Park.  Our  route  was  by  way  of  Boulder,  at  which  place  we  took  the  narrow-gauge  road  for  Fort  Collins.  A  few  miles  from  Boulder  is 
Boulder  Canon,  a  stupendous  mountain  gorge  seventeen  miles  long,  and  in  places  the  walls  rise  to  almost  the  incredible  height  of  3,000  feet. 
The  falls  of  Boulder  Creek  are 
not  without  interest,  but  the 
mightiness  and  awful  grandeur 
of  the  granite  canon  weighs  so 
heavily  upon  the  startled  per 
ceptions  of  the  spectator,  that 
even  the  roar  of  water-fall  is 
scarcely  heard,  all  the  five 
senses  being  concentrated  in 
that  of  sight.  The  eye  is  set  to 
climbing  these  terrific  preci 
pices  of  stone;  up,  up,  from 
niche  to  niche,  from  wave  upon 
wave  of  dizzy  height,  until  it 
rests  upon  a  world  on  high  that 
seems  to  lift  its  parapets  to  the 
sky  and  bathe  its  brow  in  the 
azure  of  the  heavens.  Can  it 
be  that  the  little  stream  that 
runs  complaining  along  the 
ravine  has  eroded  this  mighty 
fissure?  No,  not  this  alone,  for 
water  has  been  no  more  than  a 
servant  of  other  greater  forces 
that  have  torn  the  earth  into 
clefts  and  upheavals.  Bursting 

volcano,  denuding  glacier,  devastating  deluge,  and  cooling  fires  of  internal  furnaces  that  brought  a  collapse  of  the  earth  crust,  have  all  been 
agencies  in  this  work  of  mighty  disturbance. 

The  temptation  is  very  great  to  step  aside  into  Estes  Park,  and  explore  Long's  Peak,  which,  though  thirty-six  miles  distant,  looms 
up  in  the  clear  atmosphere  like  a  frosty-crowned  giant  almost  near  enough  to  speak  to.  But  the  rest  of  our  party  have  preceded  us  and 
are  no  doubt  in  need  of  photographic  supplies,  so  we  hurry  on,  pausing  only  long  enough  to  take  a  snap-shot  at  Boulder  Falls.  Reaching 
Fort  Collins,  we  had  the  good  fortune  to  find  the  others  of  our  party  awaiting  us.  They  had  made  an  extensive  trip  through  Estes  Park, 
and  had  a  splendid  lot  of  views  as  a  reward  for  their  labors.  It  was  fortunate,  therefore,  that  we  did  not  stop,  for  we  could  have  done  no 


THE   LOOP   NEAR  GEORGETOWN. 


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28 

more  than  duplicate  their  work,  and  repeated 
the  experiences  which  they  reported  to  me 
substantially  as  follows: 

After  dividing  our  party,  as  already  ex 
plained,  two  of  our  photographers  followed  the 
Colorado  Central  Branch  of  the  Union  Pacific 
to  Loveland,  at  which  place  they  side-tracked 
our  camera  car,  and  having  made  preparations 
for  the  trip,  started  west  to  make  a  tour  of 
Estes  Park,  their  principal  objective  point 
being  Long's  Peak.  The  park  is  conveniently 
reached  by  a  daily  stage-line,  which  travels 
over  a  good  road  and,  with  the  exception  of  a 
few  miles  of  level  plains,  traverses  a  picturesque 
region,  with  mountains  sweeping  every  side, 
the  monotony  of  which  is  relieved  by  many 
lakes,  thirty-five  of  which  may  be  seen  from  a 
single  station,  scattered  over  the  plain  and 
bathing  the  foot-hills.  The  road  leads  up 
Bald  Mountain  and  Pole  Hill  to  an  elevation 
that  brings  into  view  the  valleys  of  three 
rivers,  and  from  Park  Hill  the  whole  entrancing 
scenery  of  Estes  Park,  probably  the  finest  in 
Colorado,  is  spread  out  in  one  unbroken  and 
bewildering  panorama  of  astounding  beauty. 
It  is  not  all  a  vision  of  primeval  nature,  for 
the  vast  table-land  is  abloom  with  fields  of  hus 
bandry,  and  immense  herds  of  cattle  give  ani 
mation  to  the  seemingly  boundless  pasturage. 

From  Ferguson's  ranch  there  is  a  lovely 
prospect  of  Mummy  range,  with  its  conspicu 
ous  peaks,  aglow  with  the  soft  colors  of  sunset 
in  the  evening,  and  mist-crowned  in  the  early 
hours  of  the  day.  On  the  west  are  the  Front 
and  Rabbit  Ear  ranges,  whose  inaccessible 
heights  run  up  so  sharply  to  where  storms 
have  their  breeding  places,  that-they  are 
browned  by  exposure  and  look  inexpressibly 
bleak.  Here,  on  these  wild  peaks,  safe  from 
human  foes,  bear  and  mountain  sheep  have 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


HIGH   LINE  CANAL,    SILVER   PLUME   AND   PLATTE   RIVER. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


29 


DOME   ROCK,   BOULDER  CARON. 


their  habitations,  and  the  caterwaul  of  the  puma  rings  out  upon  the 
air  of  lofty  desolation  as  a  warning  to  those  who  would  attempt  to  gain 
their  savage  haunts. 

Long's  Peak  is  hardly  more  than  a  half-dozen  miles  from  Table 
Mountain,  measured  by  a  straight  line,  but  to  pass  from  one  to  the  other 
is  very  difficult,  except  by  a  long  detour,  so  that  the  open  route  is  by 
way  of  Loveland  to  Ferguson's  ranch,  which  is  near  the  base  of  Long's 
Peak,  and  from  which  point  the  ascent  is  best  made.  The  east  side  of 
the  mountain  is  precipitous  and  hence  inaccessible;  viewed  from  this 
side  the  peak  appears  so  lofty  as  to  almost  fade  into  the  cerulean  of  sky 
depths,  and  for  this  reason  it  has  been  not  inaptly  called  the  American 
Matterhorn.  Its  apex,  seen  from  below,  bears  a  striking  similitude  to 
an  impregnable  citadel  surrounded  by  giant  ramparts. 

The  road  from  Ferguson's  passes  Mary's  Lake,  a  lovely  body  of 
water,  thence  over  a  hill  to  a  forest  that  is  begirted  by  Lily  Mountain 
with  its  monster  cliffs  impending  from  a  height  of  11,500  feet  above 
sea-level.  The  ascent  may  be  made  by  horses  as  far  as  what  is  known 
as  "Boulder  Field,"  but  from  that  point  foot  climbing  is  necessary. 
To  secure  the  finest  view,  a  place  called  the  "Key-hole"  must  be 
gained,  and  it  is  not  reached  without  great  exertion  of  muscle  and  care 
ful  equilibrium  while  passing  along  the  ledges,  since  a  false  step  may 
be  attended  by  serious  result.  Having  reached  the  Key-hole,  the  sight 
that  rewards  the  climber  is  sublimely  grand,  for  he  is  brought  to  face  a 
vertical  wall  of  sheer  2,000  feet,  extending  up  to  within  what  appears 
to  be  one  or  two  hundred  feet  of  the  apex.  The  altitude  is  so  great 
that  a  finer  prospect,  perhaps,  never  greeted  human  vision,  for  the 
world  seems  to  be  spread  out  for  examination.  A  little  higher  up  the 
scene  changes,  but  is  scarcely  so  beautiful,  for  every  additional  foot 
taken  upward  increases  the  indistinctness  of  the  valley  below  and  the 
mountain  scenery  in  the  distance.  But  by  the  aid  of  a  field-glass  we 
make  out  Big  Thompson  River,  Boulder  Canon,  and  some  remarkable 
columnar  cliffs  that  exhibit  fantastic  shapes,  sculptured  by  the  erratic 
hand  of  nature.  Mountains  appear  like  legions  to  the  right,  to  the  left, 
upon  all  sides,  but  we  are  now  above  them  all,  and  towards  the  south 
east,  sixty  miles  away,  we  see  a  smoke-cloud  that  has  formed  from  the 
Denver  Smelters.  Still  further  southward  are  visible  the  hazy  heads  of 
Pike's  Peak  and  its  twin.brother,  Cheyenne  Mountain,  while  a  hundred 
miles  north  are  dimly  distinguishable  the  range  of  bluffs  east  of  the  city 
of  Cheyenne. 

After  gaining  the  summit  our  party  had  a  still  better  view,  for 


3o  AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

a  bright  sun  had  now  come  out  from  behind  clouds  that  had  before  obscured  his  rays,  and  so  completely  dissipated  the  misty  atmosphere 
that  the  panorama  was  greatly  increased.  They  were  lifted  so  far  above  the  Front  range  that  beyond  the  divide  there  broke  into  view,  in 
the  far  southwest,  the  Mount  of  the  Holy  Cross,  while  beside  it  were  the 
very  pale  outlines  of  Jackson  Peak,  the  two  almost  blending  into  one. 

As  they  descended  on  the  northeastern  side,  suddenly  their  sight  was 
arrested  by  a  lake  slumbering  in  a  little  basin  that  had  been  scooped  out  of 
the  granite  sides  of  the  mountain.  It  is  almost  immediately  under  the 
vertical  cliffs,  and  so  clear  that  the  observer  seems  to  look  through  it,  as  he 
would  through  a  looking-glass,  upon  great  walls  which  appear  below,  but 
are  in  reality  reflections  of  the  precipice  examined  when  making  the  ascent. 
Lily  Mountain  was  in  bold  outline  on  the  right,  where  reposed  another  lake 
of  somewhat  greater  size,  whose  water  appeared  to  feed  a  stream  that  ran 
gamboling  down  a  deep  gorge  into  the  plain  which  it  nourished. 

On  every  side  there  were  evidences  of  glacial  erosion,  not  only  in  the 
form  of  bowlders  and  debris,  but  in  lateral  moraines,  where  the  glacier  had 
left  deposits,  and  in  gorges  where  great  granite  blocks  had  been  tumbled, 
over  which  in  places  the  water  cantered  and  fell  in  beautiful  sheets.  In 
one  place,  towards  the  base,  were  found  many  small  aspen  trees  cut  down, 
and  most  frequently  the  trunks  were  divested  of  their  bark,  and  the  tender 
limbs  were  missing.  Investigating  the  cause,  it  was  directly  discovered 
to  be  the  work  of  beavers,  several  of  whose  dams  were  perceived  in  a  creek 
that  ran  through  a  beautiful  meadow  land,  but  no  one  of  the  party  was 
able  to  catch  sight  of  the  wary  animals. 

Our  party  being  satisfied  with  their  trip  in  the  park,  and  especially 
with  the  ascent  of  Long's  Peak,  where  they  had  secured  more  than  a  score 
of  magnificent  photographic  views,  returned  to  Loveland  to  be  rejoined  by 
us  at  Fort  Collins,  as  will  be  presently  described. 

We  tarried  a  short  while  at  Fort  Collins,  then  set  off  for  Mason  City, 
eighty  miles  distant,  the  road  to  which  leads  through  the  world-famous  Cache 
La  Poudre  (Powder  River)  region.  After  leaving  the  south  fork  of  this 
stream  we  passed  Monitor  Peak,  crossed  the  Big  Laramie,  and  brought  up  at 
Medicine  Bow  range.  North  Park  proper  lies  west  of  the  range,  but  the  phys 
ical  features  of  the  immediately  eastern  district  are  almost  identical,  and  to 
traverse  the  whole  would  have  required  more  than  a  month.  The  park  is 
an  elevated  plain  9,000  feet  above  sea  level,  and  embraces  an  area  of  about 
2,500  square  miles.  Properly  speaking,  it  is  a  fertile  valley  enclosed  by 
spurs  and  branches  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  is  so  seldom  visited  that 
there  are  as  yet  no  resorts  for  travelers,  and  the  stage  is  a  poor  reliance  for 
reaching  the  most  interesting  districts.  We  also  experienced  insurmountable 
obstacles,  which  compelled  us  to  abandon  our  purpose  of  making  a  tour  of  BOULDER  FALLS. 


MOUNTAIN  OF  THE  HOLY  CROSS,  COLORADO. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


the  park.  The  only  possible  way  of  going  through  the  district  and  to 
chief  points  of  photographic  interest  (pardon  the  expression)  would  have 
been  by  horses,  and  these  were  not  procurable  because  the  country  is  de 
void  of  settlements;  besides,  we  were  unprovided  with  camp  equipment. 
We  saw  the  mountains  rising  on  every  side  into  jagged  spires,  and  occa 
sional  lakes  nestling  on  their  bosoms,  but  they  were  inaccessible  to  us, 
and  after  making  so  long  a  journey  we  were  compelled  to  return  without 
accomplishing  anything  worthy  to  be  narrated.  Photographs  of  some 
mineral  springs  bubbling  up  icy-cold  in  stony  basins,  wide  stretches  of 
landscape,  hemmed  in  by  a  wall  of  mountains,  and  some  fine  views  of 
scenery  along  the  Cache  La  Poudre,  was  all  the  reward  we  had  for  days  of 
uncomfortable  traveling,  much  of  which  was  done  on  foot,  and  on  horses 
borrowed  for  short  tours.  We  traversed  enough  of  the  district,  however, 
to  satisfy  us  of  its  beauty  and  fertility,  and  that  the  region  was  a  vast 
game  park,  in  which  mountain  sheep,  bear,  deer,  pumas  were  numerous, 
and  ptarmigan  abundant.  We  caught  sight  of  several  wild  sheep  and  had 
a  far-away  (not  too  far)  look  at  a  cinnamon,  or  grizzly  bear,  we  were 
not  able  to  positively  decide  which,  and  not  being  equipped  for  enter 
taining  game  of  that  character  were  indisposed  to  permit  curiosity  to 
supersede  judgment. 

Returning  to  Fort  Collins,  we  retraced  our  route  to  Longmount, 
from  which  point  we  determined  to  visit  Table  Mountain,  near  by, 
and  Mount  Hallett,  a  little  further  towards  the  west.  To  carry  this 
decision  into  effect  it  was  necessary  to  make  some  provision  for  con 
veyance  and  camping,  as  the  mountain  cannot  be  explored  in  a  day, 
and  a  few  evenings  must  be  spent  in  camp  in  order  to  do  the  work 
satisfactorily.  Fortunately,  supplies  are  easy  to  procure,  and  being 
fully  provided,  we  set  out  a  merry  party  on  a  pleasant  errand.  We 
reached  the  foot  of  Table  Mountain  towards  the  close  of  the  day,  and 
went  into  camp  beside  a  beautiful  little  stream  that  had  its  source  some 
where  up  the  gorge  that  cleft  one  side  of  the  mountain.  At  this  point 
we  were  also  able  to  take  some  pretty  views  of  the  imposing  scenery  by 
which  we  were  surrounded. 

Near  noon  of  the  following  day  we  accomplished  the  ascent,  and 
from  that  vantage  point  surveyed  a  scene  of  bewildering  grandeur.  The 
wind,  however,  blew  a  gale  that  made  our  position  extremely  uncom 
fortable,  and  one  of  our  party  lost  his  hat,  that  was  borne  away  and 
dropped  into  an  abyss  of  almost  measureless  depth.  There  were  mount 
ains  to  the  west  that  seemed  to  hang  on  the  edge  of  the  horizon, 
and  down,  far  down,  below  us  was  an  immense  expanse  of  bowlders 


GRAYMONT  MOUNTAIN,   MIDDLE   PARK. 


34 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


that  had  evidently  once  been  the  sport  of  a  glacier.  Indeed,  the  glacier  was  still  there,  a  great  solid  field  of  compacted  snow  that  at  mid 
day  hugged  the  shadow  side  of  the  mountain,  but  was  evidently  moving  gradually,  imperceptibly,  towards  the  gorge.  Water  was  pouring 
from  the  base  and  forming  waterfalls,  cascades  and  swift  streams,  showing  that  heat  radiation  from  the  earth  was  melting  the  glacier  more 
rapidly  than  the  sun's  rays.  The  effect  was  extremely  beautiful,  for  the  afternoon  sun  was  changing  the  edges  of  the  snow-pack  into 
beautiful  reflections  of  aqua-marine,  and  waves  of  light  shimmered  above  the  glacier  that  made  the  ice  coverlet  scintillant  with  color. 

Table  Mountain  is  a  truncated  cone,  from  which  fact  it  takes  its  name;  but  it  is  deeply  fissured  on  every  side,  and  on  the  west  side 
there  is  an  appalling  gorge,  over  the  edges  of  which,  in  places,  colossal  sheets  of  ice  impend,  vast  ledges  they  appear,  threatening  the 
vegetation  far  down  below,  and  rendering  traveling  along  the  slopes  very  dangerous.  Having  photographed  Table  Mountain  and  the  fine 
scenery  that  is  tributary,  we 
descended  and  passed  over  to 
Mount  Hallett,  where  we  were 
delighted  to  find  views  of  yet 
greater  grandeur.  The  way  to 
this  mount  is  necessarily  over 
Table  Mountain  and  into  Estes 
Park,  the  solid  ramparts  of 
rocks  which  surround  the  park, 
as  far  as  Willow  Canon,  pre 
venting  the  access  of  pack 
animals. 

Gaining  the  base  of 
Table  Mountain,  we  followed 
up  Timber  Creek  over  a  natural 
roadway  until  the  foot  of  Hal 
lett  was  reached.  The  way  was 
easy  and  pleasant,  being  level 
and  almost  floored  with  moss 
and  flowers,  while  many  species 
of  birds  flitted  across  our  path, 
and  in  and  out  through  the  trees 
and  bushes,  with  voices  of  tune 


ful  glee. 


TORREY'S   PEAK,   MIDDLE   PARK,   COLORADO. 


As  we  ascended  the  mountain  on  the  northeastern  side,  a  magnificent  view  was  presented  down  a  deep  gorge.  A  little  higher  up, 
and  as  we  veered  towards  the  west,  we  saw,  a  thousand  feet  below  us,  a  deep,  dark  lake  whose  sides  were  walled,  giving  to  it  the  appearance 
of  a  crater  that  had  now  become  a  lake  basin.  Still  further  up  the  steep,  in  a  ravine,  was  another  lake,  the  edges  of  which  served  to  mark 
both  the  timber  and  snow  line.  Away  off  in  the  southeast  was  Long's  Peak,  frowning  in  bleak  desolation  above  a  lake  that  hugged  its 
feet.  On  every  side  the  scenery  was  ruggedly  sublime,  while  immediately  at  our  right  was  a  great  chasm  with  a  vertical  wall  of  stone  fully 
one  thousand  feet  high. 

The  timber  was  now  below  us,  and  our  horses  picked  their  way  over  an  indistinct  trail  through  patches  of  snow.  Occasionally,  there 
were  suspicious  places,  where  the  snow  was  deeply  impacted,  which  might  conceal  a  treacherous  way,  a  chasm  bridged  with  nothing  more 


THE  GREAT  WESTWARD  FLOOD  OF  EMIGRATION— CROSSING  THE  PLATTE  RIVER  IN  1868  (From  a  painting). 


36  AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

substantial  than  cakes  of  ice.  Yet,  on  this  lonesome  mountain,  chilled  by  perpetually  arctic  winds,  swathed  by  eternal  snows,  and  covered 
by  giant  bowlders  that  menaced  everything  by  their  apparent  instability,  there  was  no  scarcity  of  animal  life.  The  mountain  rat,  chipmunk, 
woodchuck,  Rocky  Mountain  sheep  and  a  few  lions  make  this  uninviting  region  their  haunt,  while  ptarmigan,  or  mountain  grouse,  are 
fairly  plentiful.  One  enthusiastic  photographer  who  climbed  Hallett  some  years  before,  claimed  to  have  found  a  herd  of  mountain  sheep 
so  tame  that  he  was  able  to  take  their  pictures,  but  none  of  us  had  such  good  fortune. 

At  one  point  of  the  elevation  we  had  an  enrapturing  view  of  Middle  Park  and  Grand  Lake,  whose  waters  looked  like  a  vast  sea  of 
quicksilver,  on  which  the  sunlight  danced  in  a  glorious  reflection.  North  Park  might  have  been  also  visible  from  this  same  lofty  point  of 
observation  but  for  the  inter 
vention  of  Mummy  Mountain, 
the  monumental  mark  of  Medi 
cine  Bow  range,  far  to  the 
northwest,  too  distant  for  our 
cameras  to  reproduce  the  view 
with  satisfaction. 

Our  visits  to  Table 
Mountain  and  Mount  Hallett 
had  proven  so  delightful  that 
our  previously  contemplated 
trip  to  Middle  Park  was  now 
undertaken  with  the  most 
pleasant  anticipations.  Re 
turning  to  Longmont,  we  pro 
ceeded  over  the  Union  Pacific 
to  Sunset,  an  arm  of  the  road 
that  stretches  out  into  the 
Front  range  until  it  fairly 
grasps  the  beautiful  scenery  of 
that  marvelously  grand  region. 
Georgetown  would  have  been 
a  more  convenient  point  of 
departure  for  Midland  Park, 
but  we  chose  to  avoid  sta- 
ging,  and  by  means  of  pack  FREMONT'S  PASS,  NORTH  PARK. 

animals  to  reach  the  park  by  the  quickest,  even  though  it  was  a  more  troublesome,  route.  Middle  Park  is  separated  from  North  Park  by 
an  east  and  west  sweep  of  the  great  Continental  Divide,  and  like  its  northern  sister  is  completely  encircled  by  lofty  mountains,  whose 
sentinels  are  Long's  Peak,  Gray's  Peak  and  Mount  Lincoln,  with  elevations  above  sea  level  of  respectively  14,500,  14,200  and  14,300  feet. 
The  elevation  of  the  park  itself  is  about  7,500  feet,  and  its  area  some  3,000  square  miles,  or  about  one-third  less  than  the  State  of  Connecti 
cut.  It  is  drained  principally  by  the  Blue  and  Grand  Rivers,  whose  waters  flow  generally  through  smiling  meadows  until  they  escape  from 
the  park.  We  traveled  by  horse  through  Berthoud  Pass  to  Hot  Sulphur  Springs,  which  is  on  a  small  tributary  of  Grand  River,  and  only 
about  twelve  miles  from  the  south  boundary  of  the  park.  From  this  point  we  went  to  Grand  Lake,  the  beautiful  body  of  water  that  we 


DODGE'S  BLUFF,  CANON  OF  GRAND  RIVER. 


38  AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

had  seen  from  the  heights  of  Mount  Hallett.  If  the  scene  was  grand  when  viewed  from  that  distant  elevation,  it  was  sublimely  picturesque 
when  we  reached  its  shores.  The  western  shore  line  of  the  lake  washes  the  vertical  base  of  towering  mountains,  which  enclose  it  on  three 
sides,  and  throw  their  giant  shadows  into  its  pellucid  depths,  where  reflections  of  brown  peaks  mingle  with  the  beautiful  green  of  tall 
tufted  pines.  Its  bed  appears  to  be  a  glacier  basin,  for  all  about  are  cliffs  that  bear  distinct  marks  of  an  ice  deluge  that  thousands  of  years 
ago,  perhaps,  invaded  this  retreat  of  nature  and  tore  asunder  the  earth,  ground  its  way  through  stone,  scoured  the  face  of  the  mountains, 
and  scooped  a  depression  in  the  plain. 

Strange  it  is  that  near  the  shores  of  this  lake  the  water  is  singularly  crystalline,  while  towards  the  center  it  is  dark  as  midnight. 
The  lake  is  also  a  treacherous  body,  subject  to  appalling  disturbments  from  inrushing  storms  that  first  gather  on  the  surrounding  peaks  and 
then  swoop  down  to  break  with  sudden 
and  appalling  force  upon  its  expansive 
bosom.  No  wonder  that  from  time 
immemorial,  the  Ute  Indians  have 
regarded  the  lake  with  superstitious 
fears,  and  tell  ghostly  stories  of  its 
treachery.  Upon  one  occasion,  as  an 
old  Indian  related,  a  band  of  Utes  were 
encamped  upon  its  shores,  pleasantly 
and  profitably  engaged  in  trout  fishing. 
They  had  their  women  and  children 
with  them,  and  having  prepared  for  a 
stay  of  some  weeks,  they  had  rafts 
made  of  pine  logs,  and  it  was  from 
these  they  did  their  fishing.  While 
thus  engaged  they  were  attacked  by  a 
war  party  of  Arrapahoes,  their  impla 
cable  enemies.  The  Utes  committed 
their  wives  and  children  to  the  rafts, 
which  they  pushed  far  out  into  the 
lake,  and  then  engaged  with  their  fero 
cious  adversaries,  whom,  after  a  des 
perate  battle,  they  repulsed.  During 
the  fight,  however,  a  storm  arose  on  the 
lake,  which  quickly  lashed  the  water 


GRAND  LAKE,  MIDDLE   PARK. 


into  such  fury  that  the  piercing  cries  of  the  helpless  women  and  children  were  scarcely  audible  above  the  breaking  waves  and  screech  of 
savage  wind.  When  the  Utes  turned  from  pursuing  their  enemies,  they  saw  that  a  more  dangerous  foe  had  attacked  their  helpless  ones. 
The  rafts  were  quickly  broken  up  by  wild  surges  of  the  infuriated  lake,  and  every  woman  and  child  was  swallowed  up.  The  Indians, 
whose  minds  are  peculiarly  susceptible  to  impressions  of  a  supernatural  character,  were  prompt  to  attribute  the  calamity  to  a  manifes 
tation  of  the  Great  Spirit's  anger,  and  since  that  fatal  event  they  have  regarded  the  lake  as  being  the  haunt  of  water  demons,  and  no 
Indian  has  since  that  calamitous  incident  dared  to  venture  upon  its  bosom. 

From  Grand  Lake  we  followed  its  outlet  some  twenty  miles  south,  and  entered  a  beautiful  valley  of  Grand  River,  where  the  grass 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


39 


was  long  and  green,  the  sky  a  beautiful  indigo-blue,  and  the  mountain  scenery  around  us  was  magnificent.  A  marvelously  clear  atmos 
phere  made  the  distance  deceptive,  so  that  peaks  which  were  fifty  miles  away  appeared  to  be  scarcely  five.  From  one  point  of  observation 
we  swept  the  ragged  horizon  with  our  enraptured  eyes,  and  plainly  perceived  a  battalion  of  well-known  mountains  that  locked  their  massive 
arms  around  Middle  Park  like  loving  guardsmen.  Roundtop  lifted  its  head  to  gaze  into  the  mysterious  depths  of  Grand  Lake;  and  far 
beyond,  Long's  Peak,  the  great  gray  sentinel  of  Estes  Park,  loomed  up  like  a  cloud  gathering  inspiration  from  the  heavens.  A  little  to  the 
right,  Elk  Mountain  projects  its  snowy  cap  far  into  the  sky  and  looks  up  into  the  face  of  its  taller  kinsmen.  Following  the  waving  lines 
of  peak  upon  peak,  our  eyes  caught  sight  of  a  pass  through  which  a  river  had  found  its  way,  and  behind  the  interval  were  the  faded  fronts 
of  Medicine  Bow  range.  A  little  further  to  the  left  there  is  another  rent  in  the  continuity  of  mountains,  which  closer  inspection  discovers 

to  us  is  Gore's  Canon  of  Grand  River, 
where  it  leaves  the  park  through  a  fis 
sure  made  in  the  eruptive  rocks  quite 
three  miles  long,  and  in  places  nearly 
2,000  feet  deep.  So  perpendicular  are 
these  cliffs  that  a  person  standing  upon 
the  dizzy  brink  may  drop  a  stone  into 
the  rushing  river  below. 

If  we  look  towards  the  southeast, 
across  a  stretch  of  sage-brush,  we  see 
the  peak  of  heroic  Powell,  the  most 
majestic  elevation  in  the  Park  range, 
singular  not  only  by  reason  of  its  cloud- 
piercing  height,  but  also  because  it 
looks  through  the  hazy  distance  like  a 
mountain  of  sapphire,  while  behind  it 
are  lofty  stretches  of  peaks  with  strag 
gling  locks  of  white,  where  snow  has 
gathered  in  the  wrinkles  of  their  cheeks. 
Our  rambles  through  Middle  Park 
had  been  so  pleasant  that  it  was  with 
some  reluctance  we  turned  our  steps 
eastward  again,  to  pursue  the  work  of 

photographing  scenery  in  more  south- 
GORE'S  CANON,   MIDDLE   PARK.  erly  fields       We   reached  gunset   aftef 

an  absence  of  twelve  days,  and  were  soon  after  switched  on  to  the  North  Branch  of  the  Union  Pacific  for  Denver.  Thence,  our  route 
was  south  to  Colorado  Springs  and  Manitou,  where,  as  the  following  chapter  will  show,  we  repeated  our  delightful  experiences  in  Middle 
Park,  and  saw  even  greater  wonders. 


IN  THE  CAfiON  OF  GRAND  RIVER,  COLORADO. 


CHAPTER  II. 

MANITOU,  THE  MIGHTY 


^^^HE  glory  of  Colorado,  in  the  splendor  of  its  waterfalls,  the  awesomeness  of  its  mountains,  the  wealth  of  its  mines,  and  the 
\  /  picturesqueness  of  its  natural  parks,  is  by  no  means  confined  to  those  Rocky  Mountain  districts  which  we  have  just  pictured  and 
<g)  @  described,  for  greater  marvels  remain  to  be  spoken  of,  and  pictorially  represented.  Returning  to  Denver,  our  tour  took  us  southward, 
across  a  plain  that  hugs  the  gnarled  bosom  of  the  Continental  Divide,  by  the  pearl  of  Palmer  Lake,  and  on  to  Colorado  Springs 
and  Manitou,  the  twin  cities  that  sit  at  the  feet  of  Pike's  Peak.  Here  we  are  compelled  to  pause  in  a  spell  of  mighty  wonderment 
before  the  amazing  prodigies  of  a  riotously  eccentric  nature,  that  bursts  into  an  exuberance  of  dashing  cascades,  top-lofty 
mountains,  darkling  canons,  gruesome  formations,  monolithic  spires,  babbling  brooks  and  magnetic  springs.  Here  are  God's  acres  of 
tumultuous  stone,  grand,  amazing,  chaotic,  aberrant;  a  pantheon  of  forces,  a  Jovian  council,  a  mythologic  assemblage  that  sits  like  a 
Sanhedrim  on.  the  issues  of  Titanic  upheaval,  erosion,  conglomeration  and  elemental  disturbance.  There,  rising  like  a  giant  specter  above 

its  lesser  brothers,  and  dipping 
its  hoary  head  into  the  milky 
baldric  of  the  heavens,  stands 
Pike's  Peak,  the  grand  old  sen 
tinel  of  millenniums,  with  sides 
gashed  by  tumbling  cataracts 
and  yellow  with  quivering 
leaves  of  the  frosted  aspen.  So 
lofty  that  the  stars  can  almost 
whisper  to  it,  and  the  clouds, 
when  tired  of  sailing  through 
the  sky,  circle  and  settle  upon 
its  peak,  while  eternal  night 
sleeps  undisturbed,  save  by  the 
lion's  call,  in  the  deep  gorges 
that  split  its  base. 

The  first  white  man  who 
caught  sight  of  this  towering 
mountain  was  Lieutenant  Zeb- 
ulon  Pike,  who  was  sent  out 
by  the  Government  in  the  year 
1806  to  make  an  exploration  of 
the  Territory  of  Louisiana  and 
the  Provinces  of  New  Spain, 
a  district  now  characterized  as 
THE  SEAL  AND  BEAR,  GARDEN  OF  THE  GODS.  the  great  Southwest.  From  his 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


diary  of  Saturday,  November  15th,  1806,  we  quote  the  description  of 
his  discovery: 

"Passed  two  deep  creeks,  and  many  high  points  of  rocks  ;  also 
large  herds  of  buffaloes.  At  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  I  thought  I 
could  distinguish  a  mountain  to  our  right,  which  appeared  like  a  small 
blue  cloud;  viewed  it  with  the  spy-glass  and  was  still  more  confirmed 
in  my  conjecture,  and  in  half  an  hour  it  appeared  in  full  view  before 
us.  When  our  small  party  arrived  on  the  hill,  they  with  one  accord 
gave  three  cheers  to  the  Mexican  Mountains." 

On  the  26th,  following,  this  intrepid  explorer  attempted  an 
ascent  of  Cheyenne  Mountain,  ten  miles  to  the  east  of  Pike's  Peak, 
from  which  to  make  an  observation  of  the  more  lofty  eminence,  which 
he  thus  describes: 

"  Expecting  to  return  to  our  camp  that  evening,  we  left  all  our 
blankets  and  provisions  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  killed  a  deer  of 
a  new  species,  and  hung  its  skin  on  a  tree  with  some  meat.  We 
commenced  ascending ;  found  the  way  very  difficult,  being  obliged  to 
climb  up  rocks  sometimes  almost  perpendicular ;  and  after  marching  all 
day  we  encamped  in  a  cave  without  blankets,  victuals  or  water.  We  had 
a  fine  clear  sky  while  it  was  snowing  at  the  bottom.  On  the  side  of  the 
mountain  we  found  only  yellow  and  pitch  pine;  some  distance  up  we 
saw  buffalo,  and  higher  still,  the  new  species  of  deer  and  pheasants. 

"Thursday,  27th  November. — Arose  hungry,  thirsty,  and  ex 
tremely  sore,  from  the  uneveness  of  the  rocks  on  which  we  had  lain 
all  night;  but  we  were  amply  compensated  for  our  toil  by  the  sublimity 
of  the  prospect  below.  The  unbounded  prairie  was  overhung  with 
clouds,  which  appeared  like  the  ocean  in  a  storm,  wave  piled  on  wave, 
and  foaming,  whilst  the  sky  over  our  heads  was  perfectly  clear.  Com 
menced  our  march  up  the  mountain  and  in  about  an  hour  arrived  at 
the  summit  of  this  chain;  here  we  found  the  snow  middle-deep,  and 
discovered  no  sign  of  bird  or  beast  inhabiting  this  region.  The  ther 
mometer,  which  stood  at  nine  degrees  above  zero  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain,  here  fell  to  four  degrees  below.  The  summit  of  the  Grand 
Peak,  which  was  entirely  bare  of  vegetation,  and  covered  with  snow, 
now  appeared  at  the  distance  of  fifteen  or  sixteen  miles  from  us,  and 
as  high  again  as  we  had  ascended.  It  would  have  taken  a  whole  day's 
march  to  have  arrived  at  its  base,  whence  I  believe  no  human  being 
could  have  ascended  to  its  summit.  *  *  *  *  The  clouds  from 
below  had  now  ascended  the  mountain,  and  entirely  enveloped  the 
summit,  on  which  rest  eternal  snows." 


THE  STALACTITE  ORGAN,  GRAND  CAVERNS. 


CATHEDRAL  SPIRES,  GARDEN  OF  THE  GODS,  COLORADO. 


44 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


Being  convinced  in  his  own  mind  of  its  inaccessibility,  Lieu 
tenant  Pike  contented  himself  with  the  above  brief  notes  in  his  diary, 
little  thinking  that  his  name  would  become  perpetuated  in  the  discovery, 
and  that  for  all  the  ages  thereafter  Pike's  Peak  would  be  one  of  the  most 
famous  of  American  mounts. 

Not  again  was  the  lonely  desolation  of  the  mountain,  or  the  mar 
velous  scenery  about  its  base,  disturbed  by  the  invasion  of  explorers  until, 
forty-one  years  later,  Geo.  F.  Ruxton  came  as  a  hunter  to  view  its 
grandeur  and  make  his  camp  within  its  game-haunted  shadows.  Soon 
afterwards  gold  was  discovered  in  the  vicinity,  and  then  quickly  followed 
a  rush  of  adventurers  whose  hardy  spirit  accomplished  that  which  Pike 
was  fearful  to  undertake.  An  ascent  of  the  peak  was  now  made  and 
the  altitude  ascertained  to  be  14,174  feet  above  the  sea  level. 

Simultaneously,  through  the  exploration  of  industrious  prospect 
ors,  all  the  many  amazingly  curious  formations  which  now  render  the 
region  one  of  incomparable  natural  marvels  were  discovered,  and  the 
settlements  of  Manitou  and  Colorado  Springs  were  presently  made. 

Pike's  Peak  has  been,  since  the  time  of  Ruxton's  ascent,  an 
object  of  great  interest  to  travelers,  and  as  early  as  1852  a  rough  foot- 
trail  was  established  to  the  summit,  which  was  greatly  improved 
twenty  years  later  so  as  to  admit  the  passage  of  vehicles.  In  the  mean 
time,  the  towns  of  Manitou  and  Colorado  Springs  had  grown  steadily 
and  the  number  of  visitors  increased  until  some  one  conceived  the  idea 
of  constructing  a  railroad  from  the  base  to  the  summit.  This  idea  was 
seized  upon  by  some  eastern  capitalists  in  1884,  and  a  large  capital  being 
subscribed  for  the  purpose,  the  work  of  building  this  unique  road  was 
begun.  The  original  company,  however,  met  with  difficulties  which  they 
were  unable  to  overcome  for  lack  of  capital,  and  in  1888  a  second  organi 
zation,  under  the  title  of  Manitou  &  Pike's  Peak  Railway  Company, 
succeeded  the  first  corporation,  and  adopting  what  is  known  as  the  Abt 
Cog-wheel  System  of  Mountain  Climbing,  renewed  the  work  thus 
interrupted.  As  the  higher  altitudes  were  reached  the  air  became  so 
rare  that  labor  was  extremely  difficult,  so  that  the  strongest  men  were 
unable  to  exert  themselves  for  more  than  a  few  minutes  at  a  time.  In 
place  of  wagons  burros  were  employed  to  carry  on  their  sturdy  little 
backs  all  the  needful  materials  of  ties,  rails,  tools  and  spikes,  up  the  steep 
mountain  side,  and  without  them  the  obstacles  would  have  been  insuper 
able.  But  thus  the  work  went  on  until  the  20th  of  October,  1890, 
when  the  last  spike  was  driven  and  the  highest  railroad  in  the  world 
received  its  finishing  stroke.  Special  locomotives  and  cars  were  built 


NNEL,  GRAND  CAVERNS. 


THE  CARRIAGE  ROAD  UP  PIKE'S  PEAK. 


46 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


and  by  the  use  of  cog-wheels  the  pinnacle  of  Pike's  Peak  was  thereafter  to 
be  gained  comfortably,  if  not  swiftly.  The  length  of  the  road  leading 
to  the  summit  is  nine  and  one-quarter  miles,  and  at  times  the  grade  seems 
positively  appalling  (being  25  per  cent.)  as  the  noisily-laboring  engine 
pushes  the  passenger  coach  up  the  devious  way,  over  great  bowlders  that 
have  been  flung  down  by  some  Titan  from  immense  heights  above;  under 
overhanging  brows  of  threatening  cathedrals  of  stone;  over  mad-dashing 
waterfalls  ;  through  ever-green  forests  of  silver  pines,  then  into  groves  of 
dwarf  aspens,  until  at  length  the  route  reaches  up  and  on  above  the  tim 
ber  line.  The  steepness  of  the  way  still  continues,  but  there  are  no  longer 
abutting  rocks,  nor  rush  of  water;  the  mountain  now  becomes  a  measureless 
pile  of  broken  stones,  between  which  the  chipmunk  and  woodchuck  play 
hide  and  seek;  mists  of  clouds  begin  to  gather,  the  snow  line  shows  itself 
beyond  the  breath  of  summer,  and  a  cold  wind  rushes  around  the  peak 
making  sport  of  the  enterprise  that  invaded  their  frigid  solitude. 

After  two  hours  of  pushing  and  climbing  the  train  ceases  its  deep 
respirations  and  stands  seemingly  exhausted  before  the  stone  observatory 
that  crowns  the  peak.  Ah,  now  what  a  view,  when  the  clouds  pass 
away  and  the  sun  bathes  with  golden  splendor  the  panorama  that  lies  in 
the  greater  charm  of  indistinctness  many  leagues  below !  Towards  the 
west  and  south  and  north  is  a  mighty  army  of  mountains,  in  companies 
and  batallions,  bold,  nigged,  majestic;  always  standing  in  review  before  the 
Captain  and  Creator  of  worlds  who  seems  to  have  halted  His  regiment  for 
inspection  before  an  impending  battle ;  while  away  towards  the  east 
spreads  the  fading  prairies,  losing  themselves  in  the  horizon;  and  down 
below,  in  a  long  stretch  of  landscape,  is  Colorado  Springs,  with  its 
intersecting  streets  looking  like  a  corn-field,  and  its  smoke-stacks  like 
scare-crows. 

At  other  times  a  terrible  snow-storm  may  be  raging  on  the  peak, 
while  summer  sunshine  bathes  the  plains  below;  or,  standing  under  the 
arch  of  a  clear  sky,  the  summit  visitor  may  see  the  rolling  clouds  gathering 
into  scrolls  of  darkness,  and  the  livid  lightning  running  through  the 
storm  that  is  breaking  in  torrential  rain  away  down  the  mountain  side. 
So  that  winter  and  summer,  storm  and  sunshine,  have  their  eternal  meet 
ing  place  on  the  age-swept  breast  of  this  giant  peak,  and  at  this  trysting 
place  of  the  extreme  seasons  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  lakes  that  ever 
nestled  in  the  bosom  of  a  mountain. 

One  of  the  most  picturesque,  grand  and  charming  routes  in  the 
world  is  Ute  Pass,  which  starts  out  of  Manitou  and  climbs  around  mount 
ains,  through  canons,  and  emerges  into  a  roadway  that  leads  direct  to 


TEMPLE  OF  ISIS,  WILLIAM'S  CANON. 


THE  JAWS  OF  CLEAR  CREEK  CANON. 


WILLIAMS  CANON,  NEAR  THE  CAVE  OF  THE  WINDS. 


48 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


Leadville.  The  most  beautiful  section  of  this  pass,  however,  is  in  sight  of 
Manitou,  where  it  rises  with  bold  precipitation  around  the  mountain  side 
and  passes  Rainbow  Falls,  which  has  a  perpendicular  descent  of  seventy- 
five  feet,  and  looks  down  into  Cascade  Canon,  that  is  weirdly  wild  and 
awesomely  imposing.  The  beauty  of  the  pass  is  not  more  in  the  rugged 
margin,  bordered  with  precipice  and  waterfall,  than  in  the  marvelous 
coloring  of  the  roadway  and  abutting  rocks  of  sandstone  which  at  a 
distance  appear  like  the  petrified  primaries  of  the  rainbow  wrapped 
around  the  mountain. 

As  the  road  winds  upward  a  mile  from  Manitou,  a  branch  strikes 
off  from  Ute  Pass,  and  continuing  another  half  mile  around  and  up  the 
mountain  the  visitor  finds  the  way  abruptly  terminated  by  the  entrance 
to  a  giant  cave  known  as  the  Grand  Caverns.  Like  most  places  to  which 
visitors  are  attracted  by  flamboyant  advertisements,  these  caves  are  not  so 
wonderful  as  they  have  been  represented,  yet  they  possess  considerable 
interest.  The  corridors  are  spacious  and  comparatively  level,  with  here 
and  there  formations  of  stalactites  and  stalagmites  of  considerable  beauty, 
though  never  large.  Each  compartment  has  been  given  a  romantic  and 
attractive  name  intended  to  increase  the  imagination,  and  give  support 
to  the  marvelous  tales  with  which  guides  entertain  visitors,  such  as 
Canopy  Avenue,  Alabaster  Hall,  Stalactite  Hall,  Opera  House,  Concert 
Hall,  Jewel  Casket,  Bridal  Chamber,  etc.  The  one  principal  object  of 
interest  in  the  Grand  Caverns — a  curiosity  indeed — is  what  has  been 
denominated  the  "Grand  Pipe  Organ  of  Musical  Stalactites,"  a  forma 
tion  which  gives  forth  a  great  variety  of  sounds,  capable,  under  the 
skilful  touch  of  a  player,  of  producing  really  ear-entrancing  music.  An 
"organist"  is  employed  to  entertain  visitors  by  performing  many  familiar 
instrumental  pieces,  which,  emanating  from  such  a  strange  instrument, 
and  echoing  through  the  torch-lighted  chambers  of  the  grotto,  produce  a 
charming  effect  not  easily  forgotten. 

In  another  compartment,  particularly  dark,  if  not  noisome,  and 
partitioned  off  by  a  grating  to  prevent  profanation,  are  deposited  some 
very  ancient  skeletons,  which  are  said  to  have  been  found  inurned  here 
by  the  original  cave  discoverer  in  1881.  The  photographer,  by  a  trick, 
has  pictured  these  bones  as  gigantic  in  size,  whereas  in  fact  they  are 
slightly  smaller  than  those  of  modern  men. 

A  half-mile  further  around  the  mountain,  towards  William's 
Canon,  and  approached  by  a  long  stair- way  that  leads  down  to  a  dusky, 
rock-hewn  platform,  is  the  entrance  to  the  "Cave-of-the-Winds,"  as 
unforbidding  a  place  as  Mephistopheles  himself  could  choose  for  his  abode. 


PILLAR  OF  JUPITER,  WILLIAM'S  CANON. 


5° 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


This  cave  is  nothing  more  than  a  tunnel,  too  narrow  to  admit  the  passage  of  a  fat  man  without  squeezing,  and  with  ceilings  so  low  as  to 
compel  a  person  of  ordinary  height  to  keep  a  stooped  position.  It  is  up  and  down  steep  stair-ways,  across  chasms  of  uncertain  depths,  and 
over  obstructions  which  are  quite  enough  to  exhaust  the  visitor  before  half  the  cavern  is  traversed.  The  stalactites  that  are  found  here  are 
very  small,  but  often  clustered  in  resemblance  of  chrysanthemums  and  other  composite  plants.  Like  the  Grand  Caverns,  every  little 
chamber  in  the  Cave-of-the- Winds  is  designated  by  some  curious  or  charm-impelling  name,  such  as  Cascade  Hall,  Canopy  Hall,  Boston 
Avenue,  Diamond  Hall,  Hall  of  Beauty,  Dante's  Inferno,  Crystal  Palace,  etc.;  while  the  coral-like  stalactites  are  represented  by  the  tricky 
photographer  as  being  of  imposing  size  and  bewildering  splendor. 

Emerging  from  the  stifling,  half-artificial  Cave-of-the-Winds,  and  passing  down  the  hill  a  few  yards,  a  magnificent  view  of  William's 
Canon  bursts  upon  the  enraptured  vision  of  the  spectator,  the  contrast  from  the  dismal  and  disappointing  cave  lending  additional  sublimity 
to  the  scene.  The  south  entrance  to  this  herculean  gorge  is  within  a  short  walk  of  Manitou, 
and  at  the  very  door-way  the  walls  rise  up  perpendicularly  to  a  stupendous  height  and  in 
fantastic  forms  that  positively  bewilder  with  a  grandeur  and  beauty  almost  unexcelled  by 
any  scenery  in  the  world.  This  gigantic  gash  in  the  mountain  is  evidently  the  effect  of 
erosion,  the  result  of  a  rushing  torrent  that  drove  down  for  centuries  through  the  pass  until 
it  wore  out  a  bed  hundreds  of  feet  deep  and  then  found  other  outlet,  or  became  absorbed  in 
the  process  of  drying-up  which  the  world  is  undergoing.  High  upon  the  sides  of  this 
wondrous  channel  may  be  seen  the  distinct  markings  of  glacial  drift  in  deposits  of  shell-fish 
and  bowlders,  while  in  the  bed  there  are  fragments  of  tufa,  betraying  the  action  of  volcanic 
fires  which  burned  out  ages  upon  ages  ago. 

Two  miles  north  of  Manitou,  and  reached  by  a  perfect  roadway,  over  which  carnage 
driving  is  a  supreme  pleasure,  is  the  gate-way  to  that  chaotically  curious  and  fantastically 
marvelous  district  known  as  the  Garden  of  the  Gods.  I  know  not  who  gave  name  to  this 
region  of  grotesque  formations,  but  its  appropriateness  lends  belief  that  it  was  christened  by 
one  who  had  in  mind  the  heroes  of  some  eastern  mythology,  the  Assyrian  or  Chinese,  or 
the  witchcrafts  of  the  Samians.  The  Greeks,  the  Romans,  and  Egyptians  conceived  their 
gods  as  physically  perfect,  symmetrically  beautiful;  the  idols  of  these  people  could  never 
have  suggested  the  wild,  distorted,  conglomerate  forms  that  are  marshalled  in  this  garden 
of  sweet  confusion.  Yet,  the  Greeks  personified  evil  in  horrid  forms,  and  we  have  here 
their  conception  of  deep  iniquity  done  in  nature's  sculpturings. 

The  old  legends  tell  us  of  the  Sabbat,  a  nocturnal  assembly  at  which  demons  and 
sorcerers  celebrated  their  revels,  and  to  the  imaginative  mind,  stored  with  remembrances  of 

the   tales   wherein   are   described   the   riot   of   nameless    things   and   loathsomely    fearful  ANVIL  ROC1C>  GARDEN    OF   THE  GODS, 

personages  around  the  throne  of  Satan,  it  is  easy  to  fancy  this  spot  as  the  assembling  place,  and  the  strange  forms  of  stone,  that  sit  like 
dumb  monstrosities  waiting  the  call  of  a  master,  as  the  bodies  of  maleficent  devils  petrified  in  the  very  midst  of  their  orgies.  There  on 
that  mound  squats  old  Sagittary,  the  man-beast  who  shot  arrows  of  lightning  from  his  bow,  until  he  was  struck  down  by  a  bolt  of  his  own 
forging.  A  little  beyond  is  the  foul  witch  Sycorax,  the  dam  of  Caliban,  whose  raven  wings  shelter  a  demoniac  progeny.  In  that  depression, 
which  looks  afar  like  a  seething  quagmire,  sits  Abaddon,  the  promoter  of  wars,  combustions  and  plagues,  his  face  awry  with  fretful  anxiety 
to  renew  his  course  of  destruction.  Behind  a  mound,  that  may  well  be  called  a  breastwork,  stand  ^Ugseon,  Cottus  and  Gyges,  the  brother 
triplets,  each  with  a  hundred  arms  and  fifty  heads,  who  made  war  upon  the  Titans  and  then  stormed  Olympus  with  stones  plucked  from  the 
core  of  JEtna..  Still  further  up  the  hillside,  protruding  from  a  gash  in  the  side  of  a  giant  bowlder  of  red  sandstone,  is  the  distorted  face  of 


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52  AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

Hagen,  that  demon  dwarf  of  a  single  eye,  whose  devilish  claws  tore  out  the  heart  of  Siegfried, 
garish  and  ghastly  remembrancers  of  the  tales  that  make  children 
crouch  closer  to  grandmother's  knees,  and  people  the  darkness  with 
forms  infuriate.  But  the  comical  side  is  not  wanting;  for  nature  is 
protean  in  this  godless  garden  of  quaint  conceits  done  in  stone.  If  we 
have  cause  to  laugh,  it  is  at  the  Brobdingnagian  frog  that  we  see  to  the 
left  of  the  door  of  the  garden,  sitting  beneath  a  mushroom,  with  his 
gaze  towards  the  mountain.  But  there  is  a  whole  settlement  of  giant 
fungi,  each  capable  of  giving  shelter  to  a  pond-full  of  modern-day  frogs; 
and  we  can  only  explain  the  absence  of  other  representatives  of  the 
croaking  batrachia  by  the  possibility  that  the  one  who  has  his  home 
under  the  petrified  umbrella  was  a  political  boss  in  his  time  and  com 
pelled  all  his  followers  to  remain  out  in  the  rain  when  the  big  wet  spell 
set  in.  On  the  first  rock  that  we  pass  as  we  enter  the  garden,  is  the 
perfect  outline  of  a  stag's  head,  with  antlers  laid  back  and  nose  high, 
as  if  startled  by  the  sudden  baying  of  the  hounds;  while  a  few  yards 
within  the  entrance  is  a  huge  stone  of  two  hundred  tons  weight  perched 
like  a  spinning  top  upon  the  shoulder  of  another,  so  nicely  balanced 
that  every  wind  seems  to  threaten  its  stability,  and  yet  centuries  have 
failed  to  disturb  its  equilibrium.  Still  further  on,  and  to  the  left,  are 
to  be  seen  a  duck  complete  in  all  its  outlines,  and  as  demure  as  though 
she  was  hatching  a  brood.  Then  in  succession  is  shown  an  alligator 
stretched  out  at  full  length,  taking  a  siesta  as  natural  as  though  it  had 
life.  Next  in  this  procession  of  statuary  wonders  are  Punch  and  Judy, 
peaceful  folks  in  vermilion  raiment,  with  faces  full  of  righteous  satis 
faction,  as  if  they  were  on  their  way  to  church.  Punch's  cap  is  a  little 
the  worse  for  the  long  service  it  has  seen,  and  Judy  has  a  rent  in  her 
gown,  but  they  affect  no  false  pride  and  are  evidently  content  with 
their  fortune.  Why  should  they  not  be  happy,  when  within  a  few 
yards  of  them  there  is  a  poor  old  washer-woman  bending  over  a  tub,  and 
a  child  tugging  at  her  skirts?  Certainly  by  contrast  their  lot  is  infinitely 
more  bearable.  And  the  washer-woman  has  been  at  her  hard  task  as 
long  as  Punch  and  Judy  have  been  on  their  way  to  the  meeting  house. 

As  we  advance  further  into  this  museum  of  wonders,  and  turn 
our  eyes  away  from  the  imps,  reptiles  and  broad-smiling  people  of 
stone,  our  gaze  is  arrested  by  still  stranger  freaks  of  nature.  There, 
before  us,  in  awful  sublimity,  is  the  red  sentinel  who  guards  the  north 
portals  of  the  garden,  flanked  on  either  side  by  cathedrals  and  fortresses 
of  amazing  size,  and  aflame  with  brilliant  coloring.  There  are  thin 
slabs  of  sandstone  standing  on  edge  and  lifting  their  heads  a  hundred  TOWER 


Everywhere,  to  the  right  and  left,  are  these 


BABEL,  GARDEN  OF  THE  GODS. 


I ' 


OBSERVATORY   ON  THE  SUMMIT  OF   PIKE'S  PEAK. 


54 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


feet  high,  on  which  the  gods  or  witches  have  sculptured  images  of 
birds,  animals,  and  moving  caravans.  A  herculean  lion  is  crouching 
on  the  peak  of  one,  looking  towards  the  north,  where  a  bear  and  seal 
are  eyeing  each  other  from  a  lofty  perch,  uncertain  of  their  safety, 
and  undetermined  whether  to  attack  or  retreat.  Away  up  on  the  pin 
nacle  of  another  peak  sits  a  little  old  man  in  a  rusty  coat,  but  semi- 
respectable  in  a  plug  hat,  very  intently  contemplating  a  coach-and-four 
driven  by  a  pioneer  stage  engineer  muffled  to  the  chin  in  a  shag  over 
coat,  and  bowling  along  over  the  dangerous  comb  of  the  Tower  of  Babel. 
Turning  to  look  back,  our  sight  is  arrested  by  the  towering  form 
of  Pike's  Peak,  and  a  view  that  is  incomparably  and  overwhelmingly 
grand. 

Leaving  the  Garden  of  the  Gods,  and  passing  massive  hills  of 
gypsum,  virgin  in  their  whiteness  and  soft  velvety  reflection,  the  road 
way  north  lies  through  a  large  prairie-dog  village,  where  scores  of 
wish-ton-wishes,  of  Indian  name,  scamper  through  the  grass  and  lift 
themselves  into  comical  postures  on  their  little  mounds  to  watch  the 
carriage  roll  by.  To  the  left  is  Glen  Eyrie,  where  a  few  disaffected 
gods  seem  to  have  started  a  small,  independent  park  of  wonders,  chief 
of  which  is  Major  Domo,  a  monolith  of  red  sandstone  thirty  feet 
in  circumference  and  more  than  one  hundred  feet  tall;  a  frowning 
shaft  with  slightly  inclined  head,  as  if  threatening  the  lesser  forms 
about  its  base. 

Five  miles  still  beyond,  nature  has  opened  another  museum 
of  surprises,  which  some  human  invader  has  named  Monument  Park, 
but  which  might  better  be  called  Fiddler's  Green,  or  the  Devil's 
Ante-Chamber,  for  tradition  tells  us  that  the  former  place  is  located 
just  five  miles  this  side  of  Hades,  and  that  all  fiddlers  en  route  stop 
there  twenty  minutes  for  refreshments.  This  assembling  place  of 
monstrosities;  this  parliament  of  satyr,  sibyl,  succuba  and  grim-visaged 
ogres,  is  rarely  visited,  not  particularly  because  the  sights  superinduce 
nightmare,  but  probably  because  it  is  at  the  end  of  a  long  and  dusty 
way,  and  the  gruesome  formations  are  not  numerous.  The  views 
which  delight  those  who  love  to  fellowship  with  the  incongruous  and 
distempered  products  of  nature,  are  pillars  of  white — almost  calcareous — 
sandstone  which  the  wind  and  sand  have  eroded  into  fantastic  and  outre 
shapes,  leaving  a  top  strata  of  dark  limestone  to  complete  the  multitude 
of  strange  images. 

Here  we  find  the  Devil's  Anvil,  apparently  used  by  his  swarthy 
majesty  in  the  dim  ages  in  fashioning  his  roasting  spits.  And  near  by  is 


UTE   PASS,   NEAR  MANITOU. 


GATEWAY  TO  GARDEN  OF  THE  GODS. 


56  AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

a  concourse  attending  what  is  known  as  The  Dutch  Wedding,  where  all  the  goodly  company  are  disattired  outrageously,  for  not  one  has  a 
stitch  to  his  or  her  back.  But  they  are  more  decent  folks  than  old  Mother  Grundy,  who  stands  in  a  nook  to  herself,  trying  to  gossip  with 
her  shabby  surroundings,  and  looking  for  all  the  world  like  a  hag  who  has  lost  her  teeth  through  salivation.  Not  far  below  her  is  The 
Idiot,  as  repulsive  appearing  a  fellow  as  ever  violated  the  laws  of  nature,  and  who  might  well  be  the  offspring  of  a  harridan  like  Mrs. 
Gnindy.  But  there  are  other  shapes  and  misshapes  scarcely  less  wonderful;  and  if  the  visitor  is  at  all  imaginative,  they  take  forms  that  are 
variable  and  astounding.  Dore  never  pictured  creatures  of  his  fancy  more  weird  than  the  wind-sculptures  of  Monument  Park. 

Turning  back,  and  passing  south  of  Colorado  Springs  some  four  or  five  miles,  we  are  brought  again  into  the  Rocky  range 
and  enter  at  one  of  the  Cheyenne  Canons,  between  beetling 
brows  of  tremendously  high  cliffs,  through  which  a  mad- 
dashing  water-course  has  eaten  its  way.  Whether  we  visit 
North  or  South  Canon,  the  view  is  augustly  sublime  and 
awful  in  its  grandeur.  We  stand  in  the  bed  of  the  gorge 
and  gaze  upward  on  either  side  to  a  dizzy  height,  where  the 
eagles  float  lazily  about,  just  below  the  level  of  the  summit, 
and  build  their  nest  upon  the  breast  of  the  escarpment  be 
cause  the  apex  is  sky-piercing  in  its  loftiness.  Yet  tumbling 
down  from  that  great  eminence,  where  the  gray  spires  of  the 
peaks  are  dwarfed  by  distance  until  they  grow  thin  as 
needles,  is  a  stream  of  water,  fed  by  springs  that  lay  in  the 
lap  of  still  taller  mountains  in  the  rear,  rushing  in  tumultu 
ous  flow  until  it  breaks  into  seven  waterfalls,  and  then 
checks  its  pace  as  it  joins  the  river  that  runs  on  to  the  sea. 
A  stair-way  has  been  built  alongside  of  the  falls,  by  which 
the  visitor  may  mount  to  a  height  of  two  hundred  feet,  and 
then  stand  upon  a  platform  and  watch  the  play  of  leaping 
waterfall  as  it  breaks  into  rainbows  and  mist  below,  and  hear 
its  ceaseless  song  of  praise  mingling  with  the  echoes  that 
sport  between  the  canon  walls.  They  who  can  feel  no  inspi 
ration  under  the  moving  power  of  Cheyenne  Mountain  are 
hopelessly  prosaic,  who  close  their  ears  against  the  most 
entrancing  hymns  of  nature. 

It  is  not  strange  that  the  simple  people  who  were 
reared  centuries  ago  in  this  cradle  of  natural  wonders  enter- 
tained  strange  conceptions  of  the  curious  formations  and  THE  DUTCH  WEDDING,  MONUMENT  PARK, 

mighty  mountains  that  distinguished  their  surroundings  from  other  places.  Indeed,  it  would  be  matter  for  surprise  had  the  primitive  tribes 
of  this  region  left  no  legends  telling  how  Manitou,  the  Great  Spirit,  had  upheaved  the  peaks,  fashioned  the  grotesque  images,  scooped  out 
the  canons  and  set  his  sign  of  ever- flowing  mercy  in  the  welling  spring  and  roaring  waterfall. 

Among  the  several  traditions  which  are  preserved,  we  have  the  fragments  of  the  following,  which  appear  to  have  been  left  by  the 
Toltecs,  who  undoubtedly  at  one  time  had  their  dwelling  place  in  the  Manitou  district:  A  certain  tribe,  whose  name  is  forgotten,  living 
somewhere  on  the  great  plains  towards  the  east,  were  driven  from  their  homes  by  a  mighty  flood,  and  hearing  that  lofty  mountains  lay  several 


58  AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

days'  journey  towards  the  setting  sun,  they  fled  to  these  for  refuge.  Having  thus  escaped  the  fury  of  what  they  believed  was  an  angry  god, 
and  found  safety  under  the  benign  shadow  of  Pike's  Peak,  they  came  to  regard  it  as  the  dwelling  place  of  Manitou,  and  instituted  a  form 
of  worship  as  an  evidence  of  their  gratitude.  The  climate  being  healthful  and  the  region  abounding  with  game,  this  tribe  prospered  and 
so  increased  in  power  that  they  made  war  on  their  less  fortunate  neighbors  and  reduced  them  to  slavery.  In  other  ways  they  so  offended 
Manitou  that,  having  once  saved  them  from  a  deluge  that  drowned  a  large 
part  of  the  world,  he  would  now  punish  them  with  another  flood  visita 
tion.  And  so  the  windows  of  heaven  were  opened,  and  the  rain  poured 
down  in  such  volume  that  the  valley  was  soon  overflowed,  and  the  rising 
waters  began  to  rapidly  climb  the  mountain  sides.  Perceiving  that  the 
deluge  was  an  infliction  sent  upon  them  for  their  sins,  the  tribe  gathered 


THE   DEVIL'S  TOOTH,  CHEYENNE   CANON. 


VULCAN'S   ANVIL,   MONUMENT   PARK. 


all  of  their  possessions  and  with  them  hastened  to  ascend  Pike's  Peak— which  no  one  before  had  ever  attained— to  make  an  offering  to  the 
Great  Spirit  of  all  that  they  had,  with  the  hope  of  propitiating  his  anger.     All  the  members  of  the  tribe  succeeded  in  reaching  the  summit 
vhere  they  prayed  so  fervently  that  the  heart  of  Manitou  relented  and  he  consented  to  save  the  people  by  admitting  them  into  heaven' 
But  he  would  receive  none  of  their  earthly  possessions,  and  these  were  accordingly  thrown  down  and  in  time  were  changed  into  stone   so 


MAJOR   DOMO,  GLEN   EYRIE. 


NEEDLE   ROCKS,  GARDEN   OF  THE   GODS. 


6o 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


that  by  the  accretion  of  the  burdens  thus  rejected,  the  mountain  be 
came  much  higher  than  nature  had  formed  it.  The  deluge  was  finally 
assuaged  by  a  dragon  which  Mauitou  unchained  from  a  huge  rock  in 
heaven,  where  it  was  kept  prisoner,  and  sent  down  to  drink  up  all  the 
water.  This  dragon  never  came  back  to  heaven,  for  after  abating  the 
flood  it  was  turned  into  stone  and  laid  on  Cheyenne  Mountain,  where 
its  crocodilian  form  may  still  be  recognized  by  an  observer  stationed 
at  Colorado  Springs. 

In  after  times,  a  new  tribe  came  into  the  valley,  and  finding  it 
fruitful  and  inviting,  they  established  their  homes  and  prospered  so 
well  that  they  soon  grew  mighty.  For  a  long  while  no  people  were  so 
grateful  and  devout,  so  worshipful  and  kindly  as  they;  but  power 
always  begets  arrogance,  and  in  time  these  favored  people  became  filled 
with  conceit  and  began  to  esteem  themselves  as  the  equals  of  Manitou 
and  to  defy  his  power.  This  so  offended  the  Great  Spirit  that  he  sent 
a  mighty  host  of  monsters  out  of  the  north  to  punish  the  vain  bigots 
who  thus  contemned  him.  But  some  of  the  priests  of  the  people  had 
remained  true  in  their  devotion,  and  these  now  interposed  with  Maui 
tou  and  made  many  offerings  and  sacrifices  to  appease  his  wrath. 
They  so  far  prevailed  that  many  of  the  people  also  purged  their  hearts 
of  all  iniquity,  and  Manitou  was  propitiated.  As  the  host  of  monsters 
came  swooping  down,  like  an  army  of  invincible  Centaurs,  suddenly 
Pike's  Peak  appeared  as  if  on  fire,  and  the  face  of  the  Great  Spirit 
was  visible  above  it,  shining  with  a  splendor  greater  than  the  sun. 
On  the  next  instant  that  invading  army  of  satyrs  and  gorgous  was 
changed  to  stone,  and  it  is  their  bodies  that  stand,  and  lie,  and 
posture  in  strange  incongruity  in  the  Garden  of  the  Gods,  Glen  Eyrie, 
Bear  Athol  and  Fiddler's  Green. 

Many  other  legends  are  told  to  account  for  the  singular  forma 
tions,  but  none  are  so  old  and  often  repeated  as  the  one  here  related. 
The  region  was  certainly  regarded  by  the  early  people  who  occupied  it 
as  possessing  supernatural  features,  a  fact  attested  not  alone  by  the 
traditions  so  carefully  preserved,  but  by  rude  carvings  found  on 
pieces  of  shale  dug  up  in  the  valley,  and  winged  images  carved  from 
gypsum,  which  appear  to  be  very  crude  representations  of  a  conception 
of  preternatural  creatures.  These  relics,  however,  are  very  few,  and 
by  many  are  pronounced  spurious,  so  that  it  would  be  treading  on 
doubtful  ground  to  attempt  to  introduce  evidence  of  the  faith  imposed 
by  the  Toltecs  in  such  legends,  or  how  they  sought  to  perpetuate  them. 
It  is  sufficient,  therefore,  to  accept  the  curiosities  that  are  in  this 


MEDICINE   ROCK,   MONUMENT  PARK. 


THE   IDIOT,   MONUMENT  PARK. 


MOTHER  GRUNDY,   MONUMENT   PARK. 


62 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


wondeiful  garden  merely  as  strange  freaks  of  nature,  without  considering  the  tales  handed  down  from  a  questionable  source,  pretending  to 
show  that  the  formations  are  the  results  of  supernatural  causes. 


PHANTOM  FALLS,  NORTH  CHEYENNE  CANON. 


CASTLE  FALLS,  NORTH  CHEYENNE  CANON. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  GRAND  CANONS  OF  WESTERN  RIVERS. 


f(?¥AVING  pretty  thoroughly  photographed  the  region  roundabout  Manitou,  we  hitched  our  camera  car  to  a  train  on  the  Colorado 
JL      Midland  and  started  westward  for  Salt  Lake,  and  to  embalm  the  scenery  that  lay  between.     The  way  led  around  the  base  of  Pike's 
^|       Peak,  passed  Cascade  Canon,  and  along  Bear  Creek,  the  road  doubling  upon  itself  and  twisting  around  in  the  most  tortuous  course 
1     imaginable  in  order  to  get  through  the  mountain  defiles.     Every  foot  of  the  route  is  grand,  for  there  is  no  point  that  does  not  offer 
a  view  of  scenic  splendors  beautiful,  awesome  and  sublime.     So  nigged,  tumultuous  and  wonderfully  aberrant  is  the  way,  that  the 
road  plunges  through  no  less  than  eight  tunnels  in  traversing  as  many  miles,  and  thus  the  traveler  is  whirled  through  the  heart 
and  arms  of  the  mountains.     The  approach  to  Green  Mountain  Falls  is  up  a  valley  which  spreads  out  into  a  fascinating  landscape,  where 

the  green  of  the  meadowlands  is  set  in 
a  brown  frame  of  sky-piercing  peaks 
and  impending  cliffs.  Fontaine  River 
refreshes  the  glade  that  opens  through 
the  towering  range,  and  a  little  way 
from  the  town  the  water  goes  leaping 
down  Foster's  Falls  in  a  sheet  of  liquid 
crystal.  It  is  from  this  cascade  that 
Green  Mountain  Falls  takes  its  name. 
But  besides  this  deep  dash  of  broken 
water,  there  are  many  other  beautiful 
falls  in  the  vicinity  which  have  served 
to  make  of  the  place  a  popular  resort, 
indeed,  one  of  the  greatest  in  Colorado. 
Onward  we  speed  through  valleys 
aflame  with  flowers  and  noisy  with  the 
laughter  of  gamboling  streams,  until, 
seventy  miles  from  Colorado  Springs, 
we  plunge  into  a  gorge  known  by  its 
length  as  Elteven-Mile  Canon.  It  lies 
directly  in  the  way  to  South  Park,  and 
is  wonderful  not  so  much  for  its  dark 
ling  depths  as  for  its  marvelous  petri 
factions  and  other  natural  curiosities; 
its  great  masses  of  granite  that  have 
broken  away  from  the  peaks  above  and  become  a  wall  to  the  turbulent  torrent  that  has  cleft  the  mountains  on  its  bridleless  way  to  the  sea. 
Thence  our  train  winds  around,  up  hill,  past  lakes,  trout  streams,  and  ranches,  until  we  stop  a  while  at  Buena  Vista,  where  the  train  pauses 
on  the  side  of  Gold  Hill  Mountain,  fully  one  thousand  feet  above  the  town.  From  this  natural  observatory  a  beautiful  view  is  had  indeed- 
63 


CRYSTAL   FALLS,  CASCADE   CAfiON. 


64 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


Below  is  the  madly-rushing  Arkansas,  and  the  silvery  Cottonwood  Creek 
that  joins  its  waters  with  the  river  at  this  point.  Buena  Vista  is  in  a 
valley  that  glows  like  an  emerald  in  the  sun,  across  which  rises  a  giant 
bank  of  mountains  known  as  the  Saguache  range,  in  which  we  distin 
guish  the  collegiate  trinity  of  mounts  Harvard,  Yale  and  Princeton, 
each  being  above  14,000  feet,  and  the  former  the  second  highest  in  the 
Rocky  Mountains.  Snowy  and  Sangre  de  Cristo  ranges  are  also  visible 
from  this  point,  while  eleven  miles  up  Cottonwood  Pass  is  Cottonwood 
Lake,  a  very  gem  set  in  a  wilderness  of  snow-covered  peaks.  It  is  the 
same  distance  from  Buena  Vista  to  the  summit  of  Mt.  Princeton, 
reached  by  an  easy  wagon  road,  and  on  this  lofty  pedestal  the  observer 
sweeps  the  horizon  with  enraptured  vision  that  commands  a  view  of 
Salida,  Poncha  Pass,  the  wide  expanse  of  South  Park,  and  grand  old 
Pike's  Peak  one  hundred  miles  away;  Twin  Lakes  are  twenty-five 
miles  to  the  north,  near  Buffalo  Peaks,  where  the  sportsman  finds  a 
paradise  and  the  health-seeker  is  exhilarated  with  balsamic  winds; 
while  all  around,  whichever  way  we  look,  the  omnipotence  of  the 
Creator  is  exhibited  in  the  mightiness  of  His  handiwork  as  displayed 
in  the  weirdly  broken  landscape  of  jocund  mountain  peaks,  bowlders 
of  granite  torn  from  the  great  heart  of  the  earth,  babbling  streams, 
tumbling  water-falls,  and  teeming  valleys. 

After  leaving  Buena  Vista  the  route  was  along  the  Arkansas 
River,  through  somewhat  less  rugged  scenery,  and  on  by  Leadville,  a 
city  whose  life  is  drawn  from  the  bowels  of  the  mountain.  The  whole 
territory  is  speckled  and  dotted  with  engine  houses,  and  derricks,  and 
flumes,  and  cavities,  where  the  cupidity  of  man  has  laid  a  tribute  upon 
the  everlasting  hills,  and  is  collecting  it  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow  and 
the  exercise  of  his  genius. 

The  road  continues  to  rise  until  we  reach  Hagerman  Tunnel,  a 
mammoth  passage-way  bored  through  solid  rock.  Its  length  is  2,164 
feet,  and  to  provide  perfect  ventillation  the  cut  is  eighteen  feet  wide 
and  nearly  as  many  high.  The  grade  is  a  continually  ascending  one 
from  Colorado  Springs  to  this  point,  where  an  altitude  of  11,530  feet 
is  reached,  and  the  slope  towards  the  Pacific  begins.  Just  as  we 
emerge  from  Hagennan  Tunnel,  Loch  Ivanhoe  bursts  into  glorious 
view,  a  silvery  sheet  that  wraps  the  cold  feet  of  Snowy  Mountain, 
while  off  to  the  left,  like  a  sign  of  hope  to  the  Christian  traveler,  is  the 
Mount  of  the  Holy  Cross.  This  wonderful  peak  has  become  a  verita 
ble  shrine,  visited  as  it  is  by  thousands,  whose  reverent  feelings  it  never 
fails  to  excite.  The  mountain  obtains  its  name  and  reputation  from 


THE  BEARS'  CAVE,  NEAR  GREEN  LAKE. 


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O 

C/5 

O 

I 


THE  PORTAL  OF  GRAND  RIVER  CAfiON. 
5 


66 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


the  clefts  on  its  northern  side  near  the  summit,  which  are  in  the  form  of  a  cross  and  in  which  the  snow  lies  at  such  a  depth  that  summer 
suns  never  melt  it.  The  height  of  this  peak  is  14,176  feet,  but  though  not  so  lofty  as  some  others  in  Colorado,  it  is  apparently  more 
exposed  and  holds  the  snow  longest,  the  summit  being  nearly  always  covered. 

The  next  point  of  interest  on  the  way  to  Salt  Lake  is  Glenwood  Springs,  situated  at  the  junction  of  Grand  and  Roaring  Fork 
Rivers.  This  place  derives  its  importance  from  its  numerous  thermal  springs  of  great  remedial  virtues,  and  the  beautiful  adornments  which 
a  lavish  but  well-directed  use  of  money  has  provided.  The  situation,  too,  is  one  of  great  natural  picturesqueness,  as  the  scenery  rivals  that 
about  Manitou.  Glenwood  Springs  is  located  at  the  head  of  Grand  River  Canon,  which  extends  a  distance  of  sixteen  miles  through 
colossal  mountains,  the  pali 
sades  of  which  rise  in  seried 
ranks  and  terminate  in  towering 
columns  and  gigantic  turrets 
frequently  2,000  feet  above 
the  bed  of  the  river.  It  is 
through  this  tremendous  chasm 
that  the  railroad  runs,  so  that 
travelers  have  a  perfect  view  of 
the  Titanic  scenery  from  the  car 
windows,  as  they  are  whirled 
through  it.  Three  miles  from 
Glenwood  Springs  is  No  Name 
Caiion,  while  further  up  the 
stream  is  a  tremendous  fissure 
which  admits  the  river,  and  on 
account  of  its  wildly  savage  ap- 
pearance  is  called  Grizzly 
Canon.  Ten  miles  more  to 
wards  the  river's  source  is  Dead 
Horse  Canon,  which  may  be 
gained  only  at  the  expense  of 
most  laborious  effort,  for  the 
trail  is  over  great  bowlders  and 
along  crumbling  walls  which 
frown  far  above  the  roaring 

waters  below.     But  away  up  in  SYLVAN  FALLS'  CASCADE  CANON. 

this  darksome  retreat  of  nature,  where  the  lion  and  bear  have  their  haunts,  is  Meteor  Falls,  that  leaps  almost  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  canon 
and  hurls  its  waters  down  a  precipice  nearly  one  hundred  feet  deep,  and  then  spreads  through  crevices  of  the  rocks  into  a  score  of  separate 
streams.  Not  far  distant  is  Alexander's  Cave,  which,  though  not  so  well  known,  is  much  grander  in  size  and  more  curious  with  stalactite 
formations  than  those  near  Manitou,  which  have  an  undeserved  fame.  From  the  summit  of  a  mountain  just  east  of  Glenwood,  and  reached 
by  a  walk  of  three  miles,  an  immense  expanse  of  charming  scenery  is  viewable.  For  seventy  miles  towards  the  east  extends  the  snow-crowned 
chain  of  the  Continental  Divide,  while  towards  the  north,  like  a  babe  sleeping  to  the  lullabys  of  a  brooklet's  voice,  lies  the  White  River 


BOOK  CLIFFS,  WALLS  OF  GRAND  RIVER  CANON. 


68 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


plateau.  Southward  the  observer's  vision  swings  across  the  valleys  of 
Roaring  Fork  and  Crystal  River  to  the  Elk  range,  and  then  sweeps  around 
to  the  west,  where  it  lingers  on  Book  Cliffs,  ninety  miles  away,  which 
gleam  with  scintillant  beauty,  and  inspire  with  a  grandeur  that  fills  the 
very  soul  with  wondering  ecstacy. 

THE   GRAND   CANON    OF   THE   COLORADO. 

The   tumultuous   anarchism  of  nature,  the  wild   riot  of   natural 
forces,  the  savage  disarrangement,  the  chaotically  indefinable  throes  of 
internal  madness  that  characterize  the  region,  suggests  other  wonders  of 
eruption  and  erosion,  the  dissolution  and  disorganization  which  have  been 
wrought  along  the  water-course  and  which  has  gnawed  its  way  through 
these  everlasting — nay,   it  would  appear,    transitory — mountains.     The 
first  travelers  that  fought  their  way  into  these  vastnesses  of  canon,  roaring 
peak  and  soughing  forests,  carried  back  to  civilization  wondrous  tales  of 
the  things  which  they  had  seen,  and  though  discredited  as  the  concep 
tions  of  perfervid  imaginations,  others  were  stimulated  to  seek  the  proofs, 
and  confirm  the  theories  that  were  offered  by  adventurous  gold-hunters. 
The  Government  itself,  unconscious  of  its  own  possessions,  joined  in  the 
search  for  the  wondrous  evidences  and  sent  expeditions  into  the  Rocky 
Mountain  regions  to  make  topographic  and  geologic  investigations,  the 
results  of  which   were   to  increase  surprise.     Operations  in  the  west, 
chiefly  against  the  Mohave  Indians,  made  it  necessary  also  for  the  Gov 
ernment  to  ascertain  the  most  convenient  routes  for  the  transportation  of 
supplies  to  the  military  posts  in  New  Mexico  and  Utah,  and  in  this  search 
the  Colorado  River  became  an  object  of  special  interest,  because  if  navi 
gable  it  presented  the  easiest  way  to  the  seat  of  war.     In  order  to  deter 
mine  the  question,  an  expedition  was  despatched  by  the  Secretary  of  War, 
in   18.r)8,  under   the  command  of  Lieutenant  J.   C.   Ives,  chief  of  topo 
graphical  engineers.    An  iron  steamboat  fifty  feet  long  was  built  in  Phila 
delphia,  which,  being  in  sections  convenient  for  transportation,  was  shipped 
by  way  of  Panama  to  the  Gulf  of  California,  and  put  into  service  at  Fort 
Yuma,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Colorado  River,  for  an  ascent  of  that  stream. 
The  expedition  thus  conducted  by   Lieutenant  Ives  resulted   in 
the  exploration  of  a  large  territory  which  was  before  his  advent  therein 
a  terra  incognita,  except  that  it  had  been  partially  traversed  in  1540  by  a 
few  Spanish  explorers,  acting  under  orders  of  the  Viceroy  of  New  Spain, 
whose  reports,  however,  were  so  crude  as  to  be  almost  valueless.     Ives 
.•succeeded  in  ascending  the  Colorado  a  distance  of  425  miles  in  his  steam 
boat,  which  he  concluded  was  within  seventy-five  miles  of  the  head  of 


TRIPLE  FALLS,    CASCADE  CANON. 


NEAR  HANCE'S  CABIN,  GRAND  CANON  OF  THE  COLORADO. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


navigation  during  the  most  favorable  season.  The  practical  results  were  not  of  very  great  value,  but  his  reports  were  extremely  interesting, 
chiefly  for  the  descriptions  of  marvelous  scenery  which  they  contained.  Or,  as  he  writes,  "The  region  explored  after  leaving  the  navigable 
portion  of  the  Colorado — though,  in  a  scientific  point  of  view,  of  the  highest  interest,  and  presenting  natural  features  whose  strange  sublimity 
is  perhaps  unparalleled  in  any  part  of  the  world — is  not  of  much  value." 

Subsequently  the  Government  determined  to  effect  an  exploration  of  the  headwaters  of  the  Colorado,  and  to  this  end  Major  J.  W. 
Powell,  chief  of  the  U.  S.  Survey  Corps,  was  sent  out  in  charge  of  a  party  of  a  dozen  equally  intrepid  men,  with  instructions  to  descend 
the  stream  if  possible.  To  accomplish  his  purpose  Major  Powell  provided  four  staunchly-built  row-boats  in  which  he  and  his  party  debarked 
at  Green  River  Station,  on  the  24th 
of  May,  1869,  to  run  the  gauntlet  of 
canon,  maelstrom,  rapids  and  water 
falls  in  the  Green  and  Colorado  Riv 
ers.  It  is  to  Major  Powell's  report 
that  we  are  indebted  for  descriptions 
of  the  terribly  sublime  scenery  of  these 
two  streams,  which  surpass  in  wonder 
every  other  region  on  the  globe,  and 
to  the  photographer  of  that  expedition 
we  make  our  acknowledgments  for 
several  of  the  views  which  are  here 
reproduced.  Mr.  W.  H.  Jackson,  who 
was  for  a  long  while  attached  to  the 
survey  corps  as  photographer,  has  also 
kindly  furnished  us  with  a  number  of 
exquisite  pictures  of  the  more  accessi 
ble  canons  of  the  Colorado,  and  to 
him,  therefore,  credit  in  large  share 
must  be  given.  Our  own  party,  while 
thoroughly  equipped  for  photograph 
ing  regions  contiguous  to  railroads, 
was  unprepared  for  making  a  trip 
down  the  most  dangerous  of  rivers, 
and  we  have  accordingly  been  com 
pelled  to  rely  for  our  photographs  of 
the  Green  and  Colorado  Canons  upon  the  work  of  those  above  credited.  Condensing  as  much  as  possible  the  elaborate  and  entrancing 
report  of  Major  Powell,  as  it  fills  a  very  large  volume,  his  explorations  may  be  thus  hastily  described: 

Almost  from  the  beginning  of  the  trip,  the  scenery  was  delightful,  variegated  as  it  was  with  high-reaching  cliffs  dyed  in  great  variety 
of  colors,  and  long  lines  of  mountains  stretching  away  into  an  infinity  of  distance.  The  blue  sky  above,  green  shades  of  forest  pines  along 
the  side,  empurpled  clouds  catching  the  tints  of  a  rising  and  setting  sun,  and  lines  of  buff,  red  and  brown,  marking  the  strata  of  the  banks, 
made  a  picture  which  no  painter  has  the  genius  to  reproduce.  Green  River  enters  the  Minta  plateau  by  the  Flaming  Gorge,  and  after 
reaching  the  heart  of  the  chain  turns  eastward,  then  southward,  cutting  its  way  out  by  the  splendid  canon  of  Lodore.  Then  following  the 


TEN-MILE   PASS,   NEAR  KOKOMO,  COLORADO. 


IN  THE  CANON  OF  GRAND  RIVER,  COLORADO. 


72 

base  of  the  range  for  a  few  miles  a  sudden  caprice 
seizes  it.  Not  content  with  the  terrible  gash  it  has 
inflicted  upon  this  noble  chain,  it  darts  at  it  viciously 
once  more  and  cuts  a  horseshoe  canon  in  its  flank 
2,700  feet  deep,  then  twists  and  emerges  near  the 
point  of  entrance.  Thenceforward  the  river  runs  a 
tortuous  course  of  300  miles  through  gently  inclined 
terraces  which  rise  gradually  as  the  stream  descends. 
Further  down,  the  Kaibab  (Buckskin)  Plateau  rises 
to  contesA  its  passage,  and  a  chasm  5,000  to  (>,000 
feet  is  the  result.  The  whole  province  is  a  vast  cate 
gory  of  instances  of  river  channels  cutting  through 
plateaus,  mesas,  and  terraces  where  the  strata  dip  up 
stream,  as  will  be  more  particularly  described  in  the 
summary  of  Major  Powell's  hazardous  explorations. 

Sixty  miles  from  Green  River  the  expedition 
floated  into  Flaming  Gorge,  a  chasm  fifteen  hundred 
feet  in  depth,  through  which  the  water  poured  in 
swift  measures  and  gave  intimation  of  a  more  impetu 
ous  course  further  down.  But  undeterred  the  gallant 
party  proceeded,  through  Red  and  Horseshoe  Canons, 
where  the  walls  drew  closer  and  big  bowlders  in  the 
stream  caused  the  water  to  boil  with  such  ominous 
signs  that  portage  around  the  obstructions  was  neces 
sary.  Thereafter  the  way  became  more  difficult,  for  to 
dangerous  rapids  were  added  lofty  falls,  while  along 
the  vertical  walls  in  places  there  was  scarcely  a  space 
to  set  foot.  Frequently  the  only  possible  means  of 
passage  was  by  lowering  the  boats  by  ropes  attached 
to  stem  and  stern,  which  taxed  the  strength  of  the 
men  as  well  as  the  staunchness  of  the  crafts.  Time 
and  again,  in  running  rapids,  the  boats  were  capsized, 
but  being  built  in  water-tight  compartments  they 
righted  themselves  and  were  a  refuge  for  the  men, 
-who  clung  to  the  sides  until  they  drifted  near  the  shore. 

At  one  place,  which  Major  Powell  named  Disas 
ter  Falls,  one  of  the  boats  was  swept  over  a  fall  and 
carried  down  to  a  rapid,  where,  striking  broadside 
against  a  bowlder,  it  was  broken  in  two,  leaving  the 
three  occupants  adrift  to  battle  with  the  surging 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


KAIBAB   PINNACLES,  GRAND  CANON  OF   THE  COL 


ORADO. 


74 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


waters.  Their  escape  from  drowning  was  almost  a 
miracle,  due  to  good  hick  and  the  extraordinary  efforts 
of  their  brave  comrades.  In  this  spot  the  walls  were 
more  than  3,000  feet  high,  and  drawn  so  near  together 
that  only  a  thin  strip  of  sky  was  visible, 'which  at 
night-time  appeared  to  rest  on  the  jagged  edges  of 
the  cliffs. 

Sixteen  days  after  their  departure  from  the 
starting  point,  the  adventurous  party  were  swept  into 
Lodore  Canon,  which  extends  its  colossal  walls  along 
twenty-four  miles  of  the  river,  sometimes  in  the  form 
of  hanging  cliffs,  tousled  and  gray  with  stunted  vege 
tation,  and  rising  nearly  three  thousand  feet  above  the 
stream,  and  again  in  beautiful  terraces  of  red  sand 
stone  that  spread  upward  till  they  are  lost  in  the 
Uintah  Mountains. 

It  was  not  until  two  months  after  leaving  Green 
River  Station  that  the  explorers  approached  the  junc 
tion  with  Grand  River.  As  they  dropped  out  of  the 
winding  gorge  whence  they  had  descended,  they 
caught  a  view  of  a  wondrous  fissure,  down  which 
poured  a  rushing  stream  which  appeared  to  issue  from 
the  very  bowels  of  the  earth,  so  bottomless  seemed  the 
channel.  It  was  Grand  River,  which,  in  many  re 
spects,  is  the  counterpart  of  its  sister  stream,  having 
the  same  features  of  waterfall,  rapid,  and  awesome 
canon,  into  which  the  sunlight  falls  only  at  midday, 
and  where  night-birds  are  on  the  wing  almost  con 
stantly.  It  is  a  fitting  thing  that  these  two  remarka 
ble  rivers  should  mix  their  fretful  waters  and  flow  on 
together  in  a  perpetual  quarrel,  through  arid  plains, 
until  they  end  their  differences  in  the  Gulf  of  California. 

The  Colorado  River  is  formed  by  a  union  of  the 
Grand  and  Green  Rivers,  the  former  taking  its  rise 
near  Long's  Peak,  and  the  latter  having  its  source  in 
the  Wind  River  Mountains  of  Wyoming,  within  a  few 
miles  of  Fremont's  Peak.  The  two  streams  form  a 
junction  near  a  point  known  as  Fort  Morrison,  in 
southeast  Utah,  at  the  head  of  the  most  appalling 
gorge  in  the  world,  called  the  Grand  Canon  of  the 


HORSESHOE  CANON,  GRAND  CANON  OF  THE  COLORADO. 


ECHO  CLIFFS,  CANON   OF  GRAND   RIVER. 


76 

Colorado.  The  scenery  along  both  the  Grand  and 
Green  Rivers  is  inexpressibly  sublime,  rising  into  tow 
ering  buttes  out  of  the  plains;  soaring  to  the  clouds  in 
the  form  of  mountains;  revelling  in  the  wildest  disorder 
of  landscape,  and  the  most  turbulent  panorama  of  mad- 
dashing  streams  between  walls  of  amazing  height;  but 
the  wild  passions  of  both  rivers  seem  to  be  united  with 
more  than  double  intensity  when  they  mingle  their 
waters  and  thence  become  one  turbid  flood  gnawing  a 
way  through  the  southwest  desert.  How  hard  it  is 
for  the  inexperienced  eye  to  catch  a  mental  view  of 
the  tremendous  chasm  of  the  Colorado,  however  real 
istic  a  descriptive  writer  may  paint  it,  for  height  and 
depth  almost  lose  their  significance  when  we  apply 
the  terms  to  dizzy  crags  above,  and  the  dark  lonesome- 
ness  of  Plutonian  recesses  beneath. 

The  region  through  which  the  chafing  waters 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


CLIFF   RUINS  IN   THE  CANON. 


JARASSIC    TERRACE  OF   THE  COLAB,  GRAND  CANON  OF   THE   COLORADO. 


BUFFALO  BILL  AND  PARTY  AT  POINT  SUBLIME,  GRAND  CAfiON  OF  THE  COLORADO. 


78  AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

of  the  Colorado  run  is  forbidding  in  the  extreme,  a  vast  Sahara  of  waste  and  inutility;  a  desert  too  dreary  for  either  vegetable  or  animal 
life;  a  land  that  is  haunted  with  wind-storm,  on  which  ride  the  furies  of  desolation.  But  there  is  in  its  very  bleakness  and  consumptive 
degeneracy  something  that  appeals  to  the  observer;  a  sympathy  is  aroused  that  stimulates  contemplation  of  the  wondrous  works  of  Deity,  of 
the  omnipotent  hand  that  sows  seeds  of  plenty  in  one  place  and  scatters  tares  of  poverty  in  another;  that  makes  the  valleys  to  laugh  with 
verdure,  and  the  plains  to  wail  with  nakedness.  In  this  sterile  domain,  this  borderland  of  phantasy  and  reality,  nature  is  so  distraught 
that  the  supernatural  seems  to  hold  carnival,  and  in  the  forms  which  we  here  behold  there  is  Constant  suggestion  of  chaos.  The  earth  is 
parched  to  sterility,  and  yet  there  are  abundant  evidences  that  in  centuries  long  ago  this  same  land  was  abundantly  blessed  with  an  amazing 
fertility.  Depressions  ramify 
ing  the  region  are  the  dry  beds 
of  what  were  once  water 
courses,  and  the  whole  plateau 
is  garish  with  rocks  over 
which  life-giving  floods  once 
poured  their  vivifying  nourish 
ment.  But  the  friable  nature 
of  both  soil  and  rock  has  given 
way  before  the  action  of  the 
river,  which  has  constantly 
deepened  its  path  and  drained 
the  moisture  from  the  earth. 
Now  it  is  like  the  Moon,  a 
parched  district,  save  for  the 
single  stream  which,  instead  of 
supplying  sustenance,  is  eating 
its  vitals.  The  channel  is  worn 
more  than  5,000  feet  deep,  with 
•stupendous  banks  terraced  and 
wrought  into  shapes  most  fan 
tastic,  and  at  places  diabolic. 
Imagine  a  chasm  that  at  times 
is  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
wide  and  more  than  a  mile  deep, 

the  bed  of  which  is  a  tossing. 

SKULLS  OF   THE  CLIFF   DWELLERS, 
roaring,  madly  impetuous  flood; 

winding  its  way  in  a  sinuous  course  along  walls  that  are  painted  with  all  the  pigments  known  to  nature!  What  an  imposing  spectacle; 
what  a  scene  of  awesome  grandeur;  what  a  sublime  vision  of  mightiness  !  But  the  geologist  sees  in  the  crags  and  precipices,  the  strata  and 
bed  of  that  brawling  stream,  the  handwriting  of  nature,  the  easily  decipherable  physical  history  and  geology  of  the  land.  The  antiquarian 
and  ethnologist,  following  after,  translate  the  relics  of  rude  habitations  found  along  the  cliffs,  and  the  skulls  fortunately  recovered  from  the 
ruins,  into  a  story  of  the  ancient  people  who  in  the  long  centuries  ago  dared  to  make  their  homes  in  these  almost  inaccessible  fastnesses, 
driven  to  such  refuges  by  the  ruthless  hand  of  persecution. 


So 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


In  many  places,  Major  Powell  found  overarching  cliffs,  formed  by  the  river  in  making  a  sharp  bend  eating  away  the  shale  and 
gypsum  of  the  base.  Occasional  inlets  were  observed,  cut  by  creeks  that  have  been  dried  up  for  ages;  and  following  up  one  of  these  deep 
aroytas  a  little  way,  he  came  to  a  natural  stair-way  of  small  and  regular  terraces  that  led  up  fully  500  feet,  to  an  oasis  of  vegetation,  out  of 
which  burst  a  spring  that  lost  its  waters  before  they  had  run  a  hundred  feet  down  the  parched  cliff.  Just  below  this  point  a  beautiful  glen 
was  found,  where  the  walls  of  the  canon  appeared  to  almost  meet  above  the  deep  and  quiet  river,  which,  though  narrowed,  had  an 
unobstructed  channel.  The 
cliffs  were  of  a  marvelous 
beauty,  appalling  in  height,  but 
as  variegated  as  a  bed  of  pop 
pies,  with  their  stratas  of  white, 
pink,  saffron,  gray  and  red. 

Passing  out  of  Glen 
Canon,  the  party  came  directly 
into  the  jaws  of  another  chasm, 
where  the  river  had  excavated 
an  amphitheater  of  mammoth 
proportions,  and  then  plunged 
into  a  gorge  where  both  the 
walls  and  bed  of  the  stream  were 
of  marble  so  pure  that  they 
shone  with  an  iridescent  splen 
dor,  and  the  now  lazy  river 
reflected  its  walls  until  looking 
down  was  gazing  into  the 
heavenly  depths.  Just  below 
was  Cataract  Canon,  the  en 
trance  to  which  was  indicated 
by  a  lofty  cliff  that,  from  a 
distance,  shone  like  a  crystal 
mountain,  but  which,  on  closer 
inspection,  was  discovered  to 
be  the  source  of  many  springs 
whose  waters  glinted  in  the  sun 


ROTARY  SNOW-PLOW. 


like  jewels. 

In  many  places  the  arid 

desolation  which  was  noticeable  in  the  upper  portion  and  on  the  plateau,  and  which  stretched  away  on  both  sides,  was  broken  by  patches 
of  vegetation,  and  the  appearance  of  side  gorges  in  which  creeks  were  still  contributing  to  the  river.  Storms  were  not  infrequent,  too,  and 
these  occurring  where  the  canon  walls  were  a  mile  high  and  close  together,  produced  an  effect  that  was  almost  supernatural  in  its  awfulness. 
Every  obscuration  of  the  sun  brought  dense  shadows  in  the  chasm,  which  were  split  in  twain  by  blinding  flashes,  while  the  deep  thunder 
echoed  sharply  between  the  cliffs,  producing  a  roaring  sound  that  was  almost  deafening.  Such  rain-storms,  however,  were  invariably 


82 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


confined  to  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  canon,  the  territory  lying  two  or  three  miles  east  or  west  continuing  parched,  with  hardly 

a  cloud  above  it.     Even  more  remarkable  than  the  stupendous  walls  which  confine  the  Colorado  River,  are  the  ruined  cave  habitations 

which  are  to  be  seen  along  the  lofty  and  apparently  inaccessible  ledges,  in  which  a  vanished  race  long  years  ago  evidently  sought 

refuge  from  their   enemies.       These    caves   are  no  doubt   natural    excavations,  but  in  many  instances  the  mouths  are  partially  walled 

and  otherwise    fortified.       They  were  reached  by  very  narrow,  precipitous    and   devious  paths,  and  being  extremely  difficult  to  attain 

by  the  occupants  themselves,  presented  an  impregnable    front  to  invaders.       But  the  security  which  such  cavernous  retreats  afforded 

was  purchased  at  great  cost,  for  we  wonder  how  the  inhabitants  managed  to  exist,  situated  as  they  were  in  a  desolate  country,  where 

there  was  great   scarcity  of  both  vegetable  and  animal  life.       Perhaps  the  most  strikingly  beautiful  sections  of  the  Grand  Canon  are 

the  Vermilion  Cliffs,  and  the  Temples 

and   Towers   of   the   Virgin,    the    one 

fading  into  the  other.     Vermilion  Cliffs 

are  a  great  wall  of  remarkable  height 

and    length  of   persistent   proportions, 

and  so  ornate  with  natural  sculpturing, 

and    rich    with    parti-coloring,    as    to 

justify  the  most  extravagant  language 

in   describing    them.       Each   of   the 

several   terraces   has    its   own  style  of 

architecture,  and  yet  they  contrast  with 

one  another  in  the  most  harmoniously 

artistic  manner.      The  Elephantine 

ruins   on   the    Nile,    the    temples    of 

Greece,  the  pagodas  of  China,  and  the 

cathedrals  of  Southern  Europe,  present 

no  more  variety  of  pleasing  structures 

than  those  encountered  in  descending 

the  stair-way  from  the  high  plateaus  to 

the  deep  Canon  of  the  Colorado.     As 

we   pass   from   terrace  to   terrace,   the 

scene  is  constantly  changing;  not  only 

in  the  bolder  and  grander  masses 

which  dominate  the  landscape,  but  in 

every  detail  and  accessory  as  well:  in 


BRIDAL   VEIL,  SHOSHONE   FALLS. 


the  tone  of  the  color-masses,  in  the  vegetation,  and  in  the  spirit  and  subjective  influences  of  the  scenery.  The  profile  of  the  Vermilion 
Cliffs  is  very  complex,  though  conforming  to  a  definite  type  and  composed  of  simple  elements.  While  varying  mucn  in  different  localities, 
it  never  loses  its  typical  character.  The  cliffs  consist  of  an  ascending  series  of  vertical  ledges,  rising  story  above  story,  with  intervening 
slopes  covered  with  heaps  of  rocks,  through  which  project  their  fretted  edges.  The  composite  effect  given  by  the  multiple  cliffs  and 
sloping  water-tables  rising  tier  above  tier,  is  highly  architectural,  and  shows  in  striking  contrast  with  the  rough  and  craggy  aspect  of  the 
cliffs  of  other  regions.  This  effect  is  much  increased  by  the  aberrant  manner  in  which  the  wall  advances  in  promontories  or  recedes  in 
alcoves,  and  by  the  wings  and  gables  that  jut  out  from  every  lateral  face.  In  many  places  side  canons  have  cut  the  terrace  platforms 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS.  83 

deeply,  and  open  in  magnificent  gate-ways  upon  the  broad  desert  plain  in  front.  We  look  into  them  from  afar,  wonderingly  and  question- 
ingly,  with  our  fancy  pleased  to  follow  their  windings  until  their  sudden  turns  carry  them  into  distant,  unseen  depths.  In  other  places 
the  cliffs  verge  into  towering  buttes,  rearing  their  unassailable  summits  into  the  clouds,  rich  with  the  aspiring  forms  of  a  pure  Gothic 
type,  and  flinging  back  in  red  and  purple  the  intense  sunlight  that  is  poured  upon  them.  Could  the  imagination  blanch  those  colors,  it 
might  compare  them  with  vast  icebergs,  sent  from  the  face  of  a  glacier  and  floating  majestically  out  to  sea. 

Grand,  glorious,  sublime,  are  the  pictorial  cliffs  of  vermilion  hue;  yet  a  more  magnificent  spectacle  is  presented  by  an  unfolding  of 
the  panorama  that  stretches  southward,  revealing  as  it  does  the  heavenly  crowned  and  resplendently  painted  temples  and  towers  of  the 
Virgin.  Here  the  slopes,  the  serpentine  ledges,  and  the  bosses  of  projecting  rock,  interlarded  with  scanty  soil,  display  all  the  colors  of  the 
rainbow,  and  in  the  distance  may  be  likened  to  the  painter's  pallette.  The  bolder  tints  are  of  maroon,  purple,  chocolate,  magenta  and 
lavender,  with  broad  bands  of  white  laid  in  horizontal  belts.  The  canon  proper  is  7,000  feet  deep  here,  but  less  than  two  miles  beyond  it 
stands  the  central  and  commanding  object  of  this  sublime  painting,  the  glorious  western  temple  that  looms  up  4,000  feet  above  the  rapid  river. 
This,  however,  is  only  the  foreground  of  a  matchless  panorama,  for  right  opposite  are  a  mighty  throng  of  structures  wrought  in  the  same 
exalted  style,  separated  by  two  principal  forks  of  the  Virgin,  known  as  the  Parunuweap  and  the  Mukuntuweap,  or  Little  Zion  Valley.  At 
one  point  the  two  side  canons  swing  around  and  form  a  junction,  where  the  walls  break  into  giant  pediments  covered  with  the  most  remark 
able  and  picturesque  carvings.  The  sumptuous,  bewildering  and  mazy  effects  are  boldly  discernible;  but  detail  is  lost  when"  attempt  is 
made  to  analyze  it.  The  flank  of  the  wall  receding  up  the  Mukuntuweap  is  similarly  sculptured  and  decorated  for  two  miles,  and  then 
changes  into  new  kaleidoscopic  forms  still  more  wonderful  and  impressive.  A  row  of  towers  half  a  mile  high  is  sculptured  out  of  the 
palisade,  and  stands  in  relief  before  its  face.  There  is  an  eloquence  in  their  forms  which  stirs  the  imagination  with  a  singular  power,  and 
kindles  in  even  the  dullest  mind  a  glowing  response.  Just  behind  them,  and  rising  a  thousand  feet  higher,  is  the  eastern  temple,  crowned 
with  a  cylindric  dome  of  white  sandstone.  Directly  in  front  is  a  complex  group  of  white  towers,  springing  from  a  central  pile  and 
mounting  to  the  clouds.  The  highest  peak  in  this  cumulus  mass  is  almost  pure  white,  with  brilliant  streaks  of  carmine  descending  its 
vertical  walls,  while  the  truncated  summit  is  a  deep  red. 

Nothing  can  exceed  the  wondrous  beauty  of  Little  Zion  Valley,  which  separates  the  two  temples  and  their  respective  groups  of 
towers.  In  its  proportions  it  is  probably  equal  to  Yosemite,  but  it  very  far  exceeds  that  natural  wonder  in  the  nobility  and  beauty  of 
sculpturing.  We  are  not  surprised  that  a  Mormon  zealot  gave  to  this  canon  the  name  of  Little  Zion,  since  the  scenery  is  so  imposing  as  to 
immediately  and  powerfully  suggest  those  "houses  not  built  with  hands." 

Far  to  the  westward  are  to  be  seen  the  lost  palisade,  lifting  its  imposing  front  behind  an  army  of  towers  and  domes  to  an  altitude  of 
more  than  3,000  feet.  Beyond  it  the  view  changes  quickly,  for  it  passes  at  once  into  the  Great  Basin,  which  to  this  region  is  another  world. 

The  passage  of  the  Grand  Canon  of  the  Colorado,  that  most  fearful,  colossal  and  extraordinary  chasm  in  all  the  world's  surface,  was 
completed  011  August  29th,  the  perils  which  beset  the  explorers  being  constant  and  the  hardest  work  unremitting.  Nor  was  it  accomplished 
without  great  sacrifice.  The  dangers  so  increased  that  three  of  the  men  deserted,  whose  fate,  however,  was  most  tragic,  for  they  were 
shortly  afterwards  murdered  by  Indians.  Starvation  threatened  the  party,  for  repeated  capsizing  of  the  boats  resulted  in  the  loss  of  nearly 
all  their  provisions,  while  exposure  brought  on  illness,  so  that  the  men  were  in  a  desperate  situation  when  they  finally  emerged  from  the 
jaws  of  the  cafion  and  found  succor  among  some  hospitable  Indians. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

MARVELS  OF  THE  GREAT  DESERT. 


'RAXD  RIVER  VALLEY  is  followed  by  the  railroad  from  a  point  about  forty  miles  north  of  Leadville  for  a  distance  of  nearly  two 
hundred  miles,  and  until  State  Line  is  reached,  when  the  road  cuts  across  the  plains  of  Utah,  -which  are  relieved  by  little  diversity 
of  landscape  until  Mount  Nebo,  of  the  Wasatch  range,  breaks  into  view.  The  scenery  along  Grand  River  is,  however,  extremely 
beautiful,  being  very  rugged  and  at  times  mountainous.  The  road  leads  through  several  canons  that  have  very  high  vertical  walls, 
around  ledges,  over  bridges,  and  takes  an  occasional  plunge  into  the  midnight  of  tunnels  bored  through  solid  granite.  The 
landscape  which  meets  the  traveler's  vision  when  he  reaches  Utah  is  very  different  from  that  which  characterizes  Colorado,  the 
difference  being  apparent  almost  when  the  border  is  reached.  After  passing  the  plateau  the  route  is  by  Provo  Lake,  where  the  region 

becomes  broken,  and  near-by  are 
lofty  ledges,  over  one  of  which 
rushes  a  pellucid  stream  that  is 
formed  by  melting  snows  from 
the  adjacent  mountains.  Provo 
Falls  is  a  beautiful  sheet  of 
water,  dashing  down  a  height  of 
forty  feet  and  then  spreading 
away  until  lost  in  Provo  Lake. 
The  Wasatch  range  is  now 
plainly  visible,  coasting  the  east 
ern  shore  of  Great  Salt  Lake, 
and  winding  around  to  the 
southwest  until  they  enclose  a 
valley  that  by  Mormon  industry 
has  been  converted  into  a  veri 
table  paradise,  ramified  as  it  is 
by  canals  that  render  it  prolific 
with  nearly  everything  that  fer 
tile  soil  can  produce. 

The  Wasatch  range  forms 
one  of  the  most  important  topo 
graphical  features  of  the  Cor- 
dilleran  system;  in  fact,  it  marks 
the  central  line  of  elevation  of 
this  great  mountain  region,  and 


TWIN    LAKES,   COTTONWOOD    CAfiON,    UTAH. 


is  the  dividing  ridge  between  the  arid  interior  basins  of  Nevada  and  the  high  and  relatively  well-watered  plateau  country  that  drains  into  the 
Gulf  of  California.     All  the  mountain  formations  here  are  on  a  scale  of  universal  magnitude,  while  in  their  structure  are  to  be  seen  the 
85 


86 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


effects  of  dynamic  forces,  which  have  folded  and  twisted  thousands  of  feet  of  solid  roc*k  as  if  they  were  as  pliable  as  so  many  sheets  of  paper. 
To  the  westward  the  range  presents  a  bold,  abrupt  escarpment,  rising  suddenly  out  of  the  plains  of  the  Utah  basin,  and  attains  its  greatest 
elevation  within  a  couple  of  miles  of  its  western  base.  To  the  eastward  it  slopes  off  very  gradually,  forming  a  succession  of  broad  ridges 
and  mountain  valleys  whose  waters  drain  into  the  Great  Salt  Lake  through  canons  and  gorges  cut  through  its  main  western  ridge. 
The  altitude  is  from  10,000  to  12,000  feet  above  sea  level,  so  that  snow  is  continuous  on  the  summits,  while  a  condensation 
of  the  eastward  moving  atmospheric  currents,  produced  by  the  chill  on  the  mountain  peaks,  furnishes  a  constant  supply  of  water  to 
the  mountain  streams,  and  from  which  the  valleys  derive  their  exceptional  fertility.  A  view  of  the  range,  as  observed  from  one  of  the 
islands  in  Salt  Lake,  presents  a  mountain  wall  more  than 
100  miles  in  length,  of  delicately  varied  outline,  the 
upper  portion  wrapped  in  a  mantle  of  snow,  but  dotted 
with  patches  of  pine  revealing  all  the  intricacies  of  its 
rocky  stmcture,  and  cut  through  at  short  intervals  by 
deep  canon  gashes  of  rare  grandeur  and  beauty.  A 
striking  feature  is  presented  in  the  old  lake  terraces 
which  mark  the  former  beach-line  of  ancient  Lake  Bonne- 
ville,  of  which  the  uppermost  is  940  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  present  lake,  and  can  be  traced  with  few  interrup 
tions  from  one  end  of  the  range  to  the  other.  Lake 
Bonneville  was  formerly  the  great  inland  sea  of  which 
Great  Salt  Lake  is  now  a  part.  It  covered  nearly  one- 
sixth  of  what  is  now  Utah  territory,  and  there  is  evidence 
that  it  was  connected  with  the  sea  by  an  arm  extending 
to  the  Gulf  of  California.  The  upheaval  of  mountains 
through  volcanic  action  reduced  its  bed  and  gradually 
confined  its  waters  to  the  lower  basin  of  what  afterwards 
came  to  be  known,  because  of  its  saline  waters,  as  the 
Great  Salt  Lake. 

As  early  as  1689  mention  was  made  of  this  remark 
able  lake,  which  was  somewhat  indefinitely  located  and 
described  by  Baron  La  Houtan,  "  lord-lieutenant  of  the 
French  colony  at  Placentia,  in  New  Foundland,"  in  a 
work  which  was  first  published  in  the  English  language 
in  1735.  But  though  known  at  such  an  early  day,  it  was 

not  until   1849  that  a  survey  of  the  lake  was  made  by  BLACK  ROCK'  GREAT  SALT  LAKE' 

Howard  Stansbury,  captain  of  topographical  engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  though  General  John  C.  Fremont  circumnavigated  it  in  1844,  giving 
names  to  its  several  islands  and  prominent  points.  The  settlement  of  Mormons  in  the  Salt  Lake  Valley,  near  the  shores  of  the  lake,  served 
to  bring  the  Dead  Sea  of  America  into  prominence,  and  to  this  fact  was  largely  due  the  action  of  the  Government  in  ordering  a  survey  of 
the  great  basin  to  be  made.  The  lake  was  found  to  be  nearly  eighty  miles  long  by  fifty  broad,  and  to  contain  such  a  quantity  of  salt, 
sulphates  of  silver,  chlorides  of  magnesium,  potash  and  alum,  that  its  solid  contents  were  about  four  times  greater  than  that  of  ocean  water, 
while  its  specific  gravity  almost  equalled  that  of  the  Dead  Sea.  Having  no  outlet  the  lake  has  a  fluctuating  level,  dependent  upon  the 


'      V  x*4^"->« 

•' 


UTALINE,  OR  LINE  OF  DIVISION  BETWEEN  UTAH  AND  COLORADO. 


88 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


amount  of  inflowing  water  and  solar  evaporation,  which  varies  each  season,  but  though  theoretically  the  lake  ought  to  be  diminishing,  the 
fact  remains  that  it  is  rather  increasing,  showing  marked  encroachment  on  the  eastern  shores,  while  on  the  west  there  is  an  apparent 
recession  of  its  waters,  a  peculiarity  not  easily  explained. 

There  are  a  number  of  islands  in  Salt  Lake,  the  two  largest  being  Antelope  and  Stansbury,  which  rise  abruptly  to  a  height  of 
3,000  feet,  terminating  in  rocky  ridges  that  range  north  and  south,  and  from  which  a  marvelously  beautiful  view  is  had  of  the 
surrounding  scenery,  varied  by  towering  peaks,  boundless  plains,  fields  of  grain,  irrigating  ditches,  prosperous  farm  houses,  and  away  to 
the  southeast  a  delightful  vision  of  Salt  Lake  City.  Other  islands  in  the  lake  are  those  known  as  Gunnison,  Fremont,  Carrington, 
Dolphin,  Black  Rock,  Mud, 
Egg,  Hat,  and  several  others 
that  are  so  insignificant  as  to 
appear  to  be  unworthy  of  any 
name.  The  total  area  covered 
by  the  lake  is  about  2,500 
square  miles,  or  nearly  400 
square  miles  more  than  the  State 
of  Delaware,  and  its  elevation 
above  the  sea  is  4,000  feet. 

But  if  Great  Salt  Lake  is 
one  of  the  prime  curiosities  of 
America,  its  municipal  name 
sake  may  well  claim  the  dis 
tinction  of  being  one  of  the 
artificial  wonders  of  our  land. 
Salt  Lake  City  is  the  sublime 
result  of  Mormon  persecution, 
having  been  founded  by  that 
alien  sect  in  1847.  The  history 
of  their  expulsion  from  Nauvoo, 
Illinois,  and  Gallatin,  Missouri, 
is  familiar  to  every  school-boy, 
yet  there  will  ever  linger  about 
the  story  of  their  flight,  across 
the  winter-swept  plains  of  Iowa 


THE  TEMPLE,  SALT  LAKE  CITY. 


and  the  icy  prairies  of  Nebraska,  to  the  desert  lands  of  Utah,  a  glamour  of  romance,  second  in  interest  to  that  of  the  exile  of  the  Acadians,  as 
told  by  Longfellow  in  Evangeline. 

In  this  valley  of  desolation,  as  it  then  appeared,  Brigham  Young,  the  Moses  of  his  people,  founded  a  city  and  re-established  a 
hierarchy  which  has  persisted  and  prospered  to  a  degree  that  invites  the  world's  amazement.  By  industry  as  remarkable  as  it  was  well 
directed,  the  desert  was  converted  into  an  oasis,  and  the  bare  earth,  with  its  poverty  of  sand  and  sage-brush,  was  made  to  cover  its  naked 
ness  with  the  green  vestures  of  almost  unexampled  fecundity. 

The  town  thus  established  under  harsh  conditions  grew  into  the  stature  of  a  city,  whose  very  isolation  seemed  to  contribute  to  its 


H 
D 


f- 
U 

o 

> 

o 

OS 
CL 

Qi 
< 
UJ 
Z 


u. 
O 

O 

a: 

Q- 


90  AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

prosperity.  For  the  first  score  of  years  the  place  was  in  nearly  all  respects  one  of  refuge,  where  the  church  was  dominant  and  where 
priestcraft  and  polygamy  were  the  two  institutions  upon  which  the  life  of  the  sect  depended.  We  are  not  surprised,  therefore,  to  find  that 
the  first  great  building  erected  in  Salt  Lake  City  was  a  tabernacle,  with  a  seating  capacity  for  12,000  persons,  the  largest  hall  without  pillar 
supports  in  the  world,  and  that  next  to  this  a  tithing  house  was  built,  for  it  was  a  principle  with  the  Mormons  that  the  church  should  be 
supported  by  levies  upon  the  communicants  of  one-tenth  of  their  annual  profits,  whether  such  earnings  came  from  the  soil,  merchandise  or 
the  trades.  Then  followed  the  building  of  an  endowment  house,  where  the  rites  of  the  church  were  celebrated;  and  besides  a  residence  for 
the  president  or  chief  priest,  there  was  erected  a  structure  known  as  the  Bee-Hive,  for  the  accommodation  of  Brigham  Young's  harem,  also 
an  assembly  hall,  and  lastly  a  Grand  Temple,  costing  nearly  $3,000,000,  which,  after  twenty  years,  is  just  now  approaching  completion. 

The  City  of  Salt  Lake,  with 
a  population  of  44,000,  is  about 
seven  miles  from  the  southeast 
ern  shore  of  the  lake,  is  beauti 
fully  laid  out  with  streets  132 
feet  wide,  the  gutters  of  which 
are  kept  clean  by  the  constant 
running  of  pure  water  through 
them,  brought  down  from  the 
Wasatch  range  and  conducted 
thence  through  a  myriad  of 
ditches  to  irrigate  the  soil. 

Salt  Lake  City  is  one  of  the 
chief  military  posts  of  the 
United  States,  and  Fort  Doug 
las,  situated  about  five  miles 
from  the  city,  on  a  gently  slop 
ing  hillside  at  the  termination 
of  Red  Butte  Canon,  is  a  de 
lightful  place  and  commands  an 
unobstructed  view  of  the  entire 
valley.  A  mile  toward  the 
south  is  Emigrant  Canon,  from 
which  point  it  is  said  the  Mor 
mon  pioneers  first  caught  sight 


BEE-HIVE   HOUSE,    SALT   LAKE  CITY. 


of  the  verdureless  plain  which  they  were  destined  to  convert  into  a  very  Eden  of  productiveness.  One  of  the  greatest  attractions  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  city  (about  eighteen  miles  distant)  is  a  noted  bathing  resort  called  Garfield  Beach  which,  during  the  summer  season, 
is  visited  by  thousands  of  persons  who  there  indulge  the  incomparable  luxury  of  a  bath  in  the  marvelous  Dead  Sea  of  America.  The 
water  is  so  buoyant  that  those  who  have  not  mastered  the  art  of  swimming  find  equal  sport  with  those  who  are  most  expert,  for  they  can 
lie  on  the  delicious  waves  and  be  rocked  like  a  child  in  its  cradle,  without  putting  forth  any  effort  whatever.  Just  back  of  Garfield's  Beach 
is  a  great  cavern  in  the  Oquirrah  Mountain  side  known  as  the  Giant's  Cave,  the  entrance  to  which  is  some  300  feet  above  the  lake  level, 
though  it  is  plainly  evident  that  in  former  years  the  opening  was  submerged.  When  the  cave  was  discovered,  in  1860,  it  was  found  to 


DOUBLE  CIRCLE,  NEAR  EUREKA,   UTAH. 


92  AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

contain  several  complete  human  skeletons,  recklessly  disposed,  as  though  they  were  the  victims  of  slaughter  or  starvation.  It  was  a  custom 
among  the  Utes  to  place  their  dead  in  caves  and  in  hollows  among  the  rocks,  but  the  irregularity  of  the  positions  of  the  skeletons  found  in 
Giant's  Cave  lends  plausibility  to  the  belief  that  the  remains  are  those  of  a  band  of  Indians  who,  having  taken  refuge  there,  were  extermi 
nated  by  their  more  powerful  enemies. 

About  forty  miles  north  of  Salt  Lake  City,  and  on  the  main  line  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  are  two  remarkable  chasms  known 
as  Echo  and  Weber  Canons,  which  are  not  only  sublimely  grand  by  reason  of  their  lofty  and  often  vertical  walls,  but  are  also  marvelously 
curious  on  account  of  the  weird  formations  which  distinguish  them.  The  first  one  reached  on  our  trip  from  Salt  Lake  was  Weber  Canon, 
which  invites  attention  and 
admiration  not  so  much  by 
beetling  cliffs  as  by  its  great 
variety  of  scenery  and  the 
kaleidoscopic  changes  which 
appear  at  every  hundred  yards 
of  advance  into  it.  The  canon 
is  not  always  narrow,  nor  are 
the  walls  invariably  high,  for 
there  is  a  succession  of  all 
kinds  of  mountain  scenery, 
including  stretches  of  beautiful 
meadow  land  and  fertile  fields 
wrapped  about  the  feet  of  giant 
peaks ;  colossal  gate-ways  lead 
ing  into  dark  defiles;  mighty 
summits  breaking  way  through 
cloudland ;  slopes  covered  with 
pine  and  aspen;  and  ridges 
that  appear  to  have  been  fash 
ioned  by  gods  of  war  into  tow 
ers,  bastions  and  crenelated 
battlements.  Weber  River  has 
forged  its  way  through  this 
chasm,  and  along  its  sinuous 
and  rocky  bed  the  railroad 

runs,  sometimes  cutting  under  BRIGHAM  YOUNG'S  GRAVE'  SALT  LAKE  CITY" 

an  overhanging  ledge,  again  almost  scraping  the  sides  of  the  walls  that  swing  so  near  together,  then  leaping  out  of  night-infested  chasms 
into  broadening  valleys  that  are  green  and  russet  with  prolific  fruitage.  While  admiring  the  peaceful  landscape  and  contemplating  the 
happy  environments  that  render  the  valley  a  place  of  delightful  habitation,  our  dreamy  reflections  are  suddenly  disturbed  by  a  sight  of  what 
seems  to  have  been  most  appropriately  named  The  Devil's  Slide,  a  formation  whose  singularity  entitles  it  to  consideration  as  one  of  nature's 
marvels.  The  hill  upon  the  side  of  which  this  unique  wonder  occurs  is  about  800  feet  high,  composed  of  a  dark  red  sandstone,  whose  face 
has  been  scarred  by  some  internal  disturbance  that  has  caused  to  be  cast  up  from  the  base  two  gray  parallel  walls  of  white  sandstone,  which 


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94 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


rise  to  a  varying  height  of  twenty  to  forty  feet  above  the  general  sur 
face  of  the  hill,  and  are  not  more  than  twenty  feet  apart.  This 
remarkable  slide  begins  at  the  summit  and  continues  to  the  base, 
where  it  is  reflected  in  the  clear  waters  of  Weber  River,  opposite  Lost 
Creek,  producing  a  vision  that  is  weirdly  grotesque  and  sublimely 
curious. 

"  Echo  Canon,"  says  an  English  traveler,  "  is  a  superb  defile. 
It  moves  along  like  some  majestic  poem  in  a  series  of  incomparable 
stanzas.  There  is  nothing  like  it  in  the  Himalayas  that  I  know  of, 
nor  in  the  Suliman  range.  In  the  Bolan  Pass,  on  the  Afghan  frontier, 
there  are  intervals  of  equal  sublimity;  and  even  as  a  whole  it  may 
compare  with  it.  But  taken  for  all  in  all — its  length  (some  thirty 
miles),  its  astonishing  diversity  of  contour,  its  beauty  as  well  as  its 
grandeur — I  confess  that  Echo  Canon  is  one  of  the  masterpieces  of 
Nature." 

One  of  the  first  objects  which  claims  particular  attention  near 
the  entrance  to  the  canon  from  the  west  is  Pulpit  Rock,  which  is  near 
the  village  of  Echo.  This  projection  receives  its  name  from  its  sug 
gestive  appearance  as  well  as  from  the  popular  tradition  that  Brigham 
Young  occupied  it  to  preach  his  first  sermon  in  Utah.  The  rocks  and 
precipices  which  line  the  way  are  variegated  with  subdued  tints, 
heightened  by  the  pronounced  coloring  of  the  mountain  vegetation  that 
covers  the  slopes  and  spreads  out  in  occasional  level  tracts  at  the  base. 
Remarkable  and  often  fantastic  formations  diversify  the  canon,  which 
for  their  fancied  resemblance  to  artificial  things  have  received  such 
appellations  as  Steamboat  Rock,  Gibraltar,  Monument  Rock,  etc.  Our 
further  advance  brings  into  view  towering  cliffs  that  seem  to  be  sus 
pended  from  the  sky,  and  again  the  walls  reach  over  the  way  like 
mighty  claws,  and  exhibit  their  serrated  peaks  in  a  series  of  ruins  that 
in  the  distance  conjure  the  imagination  and  present  a  vision  of  mono 
liths,  temples,  galleries  and  castles,  such  as  bestrew  the  old  world. 
Hanging  Rock  and  Castle  Rock  are  two  specially  bold  promontories 
that  give  suggestion  of  Nilotic  and  Rhenish  ruins,  a  verisimilitude 
that  is  intensified  by  the  knowledge  that  when  Johnston  invaded  Utah 
in  1857  the  Mormons  fortified  many  of  the  cliffs  of  both  Weber  and 
Echo  Canons,  the  fading  wrecks  of  these  structures  being  still  visible. 

Church  Buttes  and  The  Witches  present  a  strange  conglomera 
tion  in  uniting  religion  with  superstition,  for  they  appeal  to  the  two 
strongest  attributes  of  human  nature.  From  the  west  the  ' '  Witches ' ' 
first  come  into  view,  a  group  of  fantastically-wrought  images  that 


JOSEPHINE  FALLS,  BEAR  CREEK,  UTAH. 


MOUNT   NEBO,   WASATCH   RANGE. 


96 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


appear  like  chaotic  creations,  the  rock-carved  dreams  of  distempered  boyhood,  the  feverish  personations  of  old  Granny  Bunch's  tales. 
There  they  stand,  like  an  assemblage  of  weazened  and  wrinkled  wizards  plotting  some  scheme  of  diabolism,  though  everlastingly  anchored 
to  the  eternal  hillsides,  where,  like  Giant  Grim,  they  can  do  nothing  more  than  make  faces  at  passers-by. 

Church  Buttes  are  more  harmonious  in  their  outlines,  as  well  as  massive  in  their  proportions,  simulating  as  they  do  cathedrals  and 
meeting  houses,  some  with  towers  and  spires,  and  others  of  less  ostentatious  architecture,  but  all  bearing  some  intimation  of  a  worshipful 
purpose.  But  these  curious  efforts  of  nature  are  not  confined  to  the  canons  named,  nor  a  limited  district,  for  directly  north  of  Green  River, 
and  reached  by  a  Government  trail  leading  to  Yellowstone  Park,  are  what  is  known  as  the  Bridges  and  Washakie  Basins  of  Bad  Lands,  a 
region  that  is  remarkable  for 
its  capricious  formations,  the 
results  of  upheavals,  glacial 
scouring,  and  erosions  by  wind 
and  water.  This  district  of 
marvelous  forms  is  a  part  of 
Fremont  county,  covering  an 
area  of  twenty  by  twenty-five 
miles.  The  country  is  a  mixt 
ure  of  limestones,  shales  and 
calcareous  sandstones,  with 
occasional  green  clays,  marls, 
and  whitish  sand,  the  latter 
often  drifting  into  long  dunes. 
Towards  the  south  end  of  this 
dry  valley  there  is  a  chain  of 
bluff  escarpments,  extending 
about  fourteen  miles,  and  it  is 
in  these  escarpments  that  the 
most  remarkable  examples  of 
Bad  Land  erosions  are  to  be 
found.  The  ridges  rise  300 
feet  above  the  valley  and  pre 
sent  a  series  of  abrupt,  nearly 

vertical  faces,  worn  into  innu- 

'  PULPIT  ROCK,  WEBER 

merable  architectural  forms, 

with  detached  pillars  standing  like  monoliths  some  distance  from  the  walls.  Along  the  dry  ravines  the  same  curiously  picturesque  forms 
occur,  so  that  a  view  of  the  whole  front  of  the  escarpment,  with  its  salient  angles,  bears  a  striking-  resemblance  to  the  ruins  of  a  fortified 
city.  Enormous  masses  project  from  the  main  wall,  the  stratifications  of  cream,  gray  and  green  sands  are  traced  across  their  nearly  vertical 
fronts  like  courses  of  immense  masonry,  and  every  face  is  scoured  by  innumerable  narrow,  sharp  cuts,  which  are  worn  into  the  soft  material 
from  top  to  bottom  of  the  cliff,  offering  narrow  galleries  which  give  access  for  a  considerable  distance  into  this  labyrinth  of  natural 
fortresses.  At  a  little  distance,  these  sharp  incisions  seem  like  the  spaces  between  series  of  pillars,  and  the  whole  aspect  of  the  region  is 
that  of  a  line  of  Egyptian  structures.  Among  the  most  interesting  bodies  are  those  of  the  detached  outliers,  points  of  spurs,  or  isolated 


OLDEST  HOUSE  IN  SALT  LAKE  CITY,  UTAH. 


98 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


hills,  which  are  mere  relics  of  the  beds  that  formerly  covered  the  whole  valley.  These  monoliths,  often  reaching  100  feet  in  height,  rise 
out  of  the  smooth  surface  of  a  level  plain  of  clay,  and  are  sculptured  into  the  most  surprising  forms,  surmounted  by  domes  and  ornamented 
by  many  buttresses  and  jutting  pinnacles. 

Clarence  King,  U.  S.  Geologist,  in  a  monograph  on  the  Bad  Lands,  says:  "It  is  not  altogether  easy  to  account  for  the  peculiar 
character  of  this  erosion,  resulting  as  it  does  in  such  singular  vertical  faces  and  spire-like  forms.  A  glance  at  the  front  of  these  Bad  Lands 
shows  at  once  that  very  much  of  the  resultant  forms  must  be  the  effect  of  rain  and  wind-storms.  The  small  streams  which  cut  down  across 
the  escarpment  from  the  interior  of  the  plateau,  do  the  work  of  severing  the  front  into  detached  blocks;  but  the  final  forms  of  these  blocks 
themselves  are  probably  in 
great  measure  given  by  the 
effect  of  rain  and  wind  erosion. 
The  material  is  so  exceedingly 
fine,  that  under  the  influence  of 
trickling  waters  it  cuts  down 
most  easily  in  vertical  lines. 
A  semi-detached  block,  sepa 
rated  by  two  lateral  ravines, 
becomes  quickly  carved  into 
spires  and  domes,  which  soon 
crumble  down  to  the  level  of 
the  plain.  It  seems  probable 
that  some  of  the  most  interest 
ing  forms  are  brought  out  by  a 
slightly  harder  stratum  near  the 
top  of  the  cliffs  (like  the 
strange,  and  often  uncouth,  ex 
amples  in  Monument  Park, 
Colorado),  which  acts  in  a 
measure  as  a  protector  of  the 
softer  materials,  and  prevents 
them  from  taking  the  mound- 
forms  that  occur  when  the  beds 
are  of  equal  hardness." 

As  we  follow  down  Green 
River,    the   same  effects    are 

observable  in  the  vertical  bluffs  which  extend  along  the  shores,  images  to  which  fancy  has  given  such  names  as  the  Devil's  Tea-pot,  the 
Giant's  Club,  Vermilion  Cliffs,  and  many  others,  for  the  geologic  structure  is  the  same  through  nearly  the  whole  of  southeast  Wyoming. 
But  the  so-called  Bad  Lands  are  not  wholly  confined  to  Wyoming,  for  they  are  met  with  in  both  North  and  South  Dakota,  west  of  the 
Missouri  River;  though  for  beauty  and  magnitude,  those  of  Wyoming  are  incomparable. 

From  Green  River  Station  we  doubled  our  track  and  returned  to  Ogden,  where  we  took  some  very  beautiful  views  of  Ogden  Canon, 
the  Narrows,  Adam's  Falls,  and  the  mountains  that  soar  very  far  skyward  at  the  city's  rear.     But  our  stay  here  was  limited  to  two  clays, 


WITCH   ROCKS,  WEBER  CANON. 


MORMON  TITHING  HOUSE,  SALT  LAKE  CITY. 


10O 

when  we  took  the  Oregon  branch 
of  the  Union  Pacific  for  a  visit  to 
Shoshone  Falls,  on  Snake  River, 
which  for  size  as  well  as  mag 
nificence  takes  a  position  second 
only  to  our  world- wonderful 
Niagara. 

Directly  after  leaving  Ogden 
the  road  enters  the  valley  of  Bear 
River,  which  it  follows  as  far 
north  as  Weston  Falls,  a  distance 
of  about  seventy-five  miles.  The 
scenery  along  this  part  of  the 
route  is  almost  as  rugged  as  that 
of  Weber  Canon,  being  a  suc 
cession  of  canons  and  lovely 
stretches  of  level  lands  brought 
into  the  highest  state  of  cultiva 
tion  by  Mormon  industry.  At 
Pocatello  the  road  branches,  one 
of  its  iron  arms  extending  north 
ward  to  Helena,  while  the  main 
line  turns  westwardly  to  Oregon. 
The  district  which  it  penetrates 
after  leaving  Pocatello  is  desert- 
like  and  devoid  of  interest  almost 
to  the  western  limits  of  Idaho,  if 
we  except  the  point  where  the 
road  crosses  Snake  River.  Here 
the  American  Falls  go  brawling 
and  boiling  over  immense  basaltic 
rocks  that  are  struggling  with 
the  impetuous  stream,  and  whose 
tops  are  flecked  with  tufts  of 
foam  thrown  up  by  mad-dashing 
waves.  But  the  waters  have  not 
yet  worn  a  chasm  through  the 
desert,  which  spreads  away  on 
either  side  a  level  plain,  until 
forty-four  miles  distant  the  dreary 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


HANGING  ROCK,  AMERICAN  FORK  CANON. 


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IO2 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


monotony  is  broken  by  three  buttes  that  rise  into  view  out  of  the  uninviting  landscape.  We  now  enter  a  region  that  is  somber  beyond  all 
power  to  describe;  a  wretched  desolation  that  is  relieved  by  no  vegetation  save  of  sage-brush,  which  straggles  through  little  rifts  in  the 
earth  and  barely  lifts  its  head  above  the  surface.  These  are  the  lava  beds  that  extend  from  Beaver  Canon  all  along  the  north  side  of  Snake 
River,  until  they  lose  themselves  in  the  stream  where  it  turns  due  north  and  draws  a  boundary  line  between  Idaho  and  Oregon.  The  land 
appears  to  have  been  cursed  with  such  a  fire  as  destroyed  Gomorrah,  for  the  eye  wanders  over  nothing  but  the  fiery  sputa  of  volcanoes,  that, 
having  wrought  the  fullest  destruction,  were  in  turn  destroyed.  Everywhere  we  look  there  greets  our  vision  waves  of  lava  that  lashed  the 
earth  until,  tired  of  their  devastating  work,  they  became  congealed,  or  were  arrested  by  the  hand  of  omnipotence.  But  between  the  knolls  of 
scoria  are  occasional  depressions,  which 
are  cross-seamed  and  cracked  until  in 
many  places  the  fissures  are  hundreds  of 
feet  deep,  apparently  extending  in  depth 
to  the  very  vitals  of  the  earth.  Some 
of  the  crevices  are  only  a  few  inches  in 
width,  while  there  are  others  several  feet 
broad,  into  which  creeks  have  lost  them 
selves,  and  lead  into  bottomless  pits. 

It  is  a  little  more  than  one  hundred 
miles  from  Pocatello  to  Shoshone  Sta 
tion,  at  which  point  we  left  the  train, 
and  by  private  conveyance  struck  across 
the  lava  fields,  a  distance  of  twenty-five 
miles  due  south,  over  the  dustiest  wagon- 
road  that  mortal  ever  traveled.  The 
way  is  like  a  switch-back,  up  and  down 
over  sharp  waves  of  lava,  with  desola 
tion  and  discomfort  obtrusive  compan 
ions,  and  nothing  rising  above  the  dull 
undulations  except  a  purplish  tint  in  the 
horizon,  marking  with  faint  intimation 
a  range  of  mountains  one  hundred  miles 
away  in  Utah.  For  more  than  four  hours 
we  traversed  this  wearying  stretch  of 
parched  and  begrimed  desert,  without  a 
sign  of  the  river,  until  at  length  turning 


TEA-POT  ROCK,  GREEN   RIVER. 


the  base  of  a  higher  ridge  we  came  suddenly  upon  the  brink  of  a  tremendous  chasm,  and  there,  1,200  feet  below  our  feet,  was  the  river 
which  we  had  journeyed  so  far  to  view.  Long  before  reaching  this  objective  point,  we  had  heard  a  deep,  rumbling  noise  that  seemed  to 
emanate  from  the  earth's  internals,  but  now,  with  astounded  sense  of  the  awful,  we  beheld  the  cause.  There  before  us  was  the  vexed 
waters  of  a  large  river  pouring  over  two  precipices,  the  first  82  feet  and  the  second  210  feet  high,  producing  by  the  final  plunge  a  colossal 
cauldron,  from  which  the  mists  rose  up  in  boiling  clouds  that  ever  and  anon  hid  the  falls  from  sight. 

A  glance  at  this  tremendous  waterfall  more  than  compensated  for  all  the  annoyances  and  discomforts  that  we  had  endured.     It  was  a 


PULPIT  ROCK,  ECHO  CAflON,  WHERE  BRIGHAM  YOUNG  FIRST  PREACHED  IN  UTAH. 


104 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


scene  of  positively  bewildering  majesty;  a  vision  of  the  incomparably 
grand;  an  object  lesson  teaching  the  mightiness  and  mysterious  ways  of 
God.  In  the  deep  diapason  of  its  voice  we  recognized  nature's  halle 
lujah,  and  the  thunderous  boom  of  its  plungings  was  like  a  chorus  of 
invocation  welling  from  a  million  throats.  Its  lovely  grandeur,  burst 
ing  out  of  the  heart  of  desolation,  is  the  personification  of  powerful, 
awe-inspiring  sublimity,  an  exaltation  of  deity,  an  inspiration  to  the 
soul,  a  very  glorification  and  apotheosis  of  nature. 

Pausing  on  the  bank  to  contemplate  and  measure  the  colossal 
wonder  of  the  falls,  we  saw  the  emerald  stream  gliding  along  as  placidly 
as  though  its  mission  was  one  of  peace;  nor  was  there  any  appearance 
of  danger  to  the  ferryman,  who  operated  his  boat  by  an  over-head  wire 
cable  stretched  from  bank  to  bank,  only  200  yards  above.  The  quiet 
flow,  however,  was  better  understood  when  we  learned  that  the  river 
here  is  200  feet  deep;  a  very  ocean  filling  a  mighty  chasm;  an  inun 
dated  canon  whose  volume  of  water  equals  that  of  a  dozen  Niagaras, 
for  this  tremendous  gorge  extends  a  distance  of  eighteen  miles,  and  its 
bottom  lies  under  the  river  1,400  feet  below  the  brink. 

Shoshone  Falls  proper  are  950  feet  wide  at  the  point  of  precipi 
tation,  but  only  a  few  yards  to  the  rear  of  it  are  Bridal  Veil  Falls,  whose 

width  is  125   feet,    and 

which,   constitute   the 

first  plunge  or  precipice, 

which  in  turn  is  broken 

into   a  series   of   minor 

cascades,  known  as  Bri 
dal  Train   and  Natural 

Mill  Race  Falls,  the  di 
visions   being  produced 

by  the   interposition  of 

Eagle  Rock   and  Bell's 

Island.     One    mile  and 

a  half  below  the  cataract 

are  Cascade  Falls,  while 

three    miles   above   are 

Twin  Falls,  which  leap 

down  a   height   of    180 

feet,  thus  showing  that 

there  is  a  space  of  nearly 

five  miles  in  which  the  MAIDEN  OF  THE  BAD  LANDS. 


WITCH   ROCK,   BAD  LANDS  OF  WYOMING. 


MONUMENT  ROCK,  ECHO  CANON. 


GIANT'S  CLUB,  GREEN  RIVER. 


io6 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


tremendous  chasm  has  been  torn  by  convulsions  which  most  probably  occurred  after  the    river  was  turned  into  its  bed.     An  exquisite 
word-painting  by  the  journalistic  pen  of  Hon.  C.  C.  Goodwin  is  here  reproduced: 

"The  lava  beds  of  Idaho  are  a  marked  feature  of  that  Territory.  Starting  near  the  eastern  boundary,  they  extend  southwesterly 
for  a  long  distance,  and  are  from  300  feet  to  900  feet  in  depth.  This  mass  was  once  a  river  of  molten  fire,  the  making  of  which  must 
have  succeeded  a  convulsion  of  nature  more  terrible  than  any  ever  witnessed  by  mortals,  and  long  years  must  have  passed  before  the  awful 
fiery  mass  was  cooled.  To  the  east  of  the  source  of  the  lava  flow,  the  Snake  River  bursts  out  of  the  hills,  becoming  almost  at  once  a 
sovereign  river,  and  flowing  at  first  southwesterly  and  then  bending  westerly,  cuts  through  the  lava  fields  nearly  in  the  center  of  the 
Territory,  reckoned  from  east  to  west,  and  about  forty  miles  north  of  its  southern  border,  and  thence  flowing  with  great  curves,  merges 
finally  with  the  Columbia.  The  two  rivers  combined  make  one  of  the  chief  waterways  of  the  continent,  and  here  and  there  take  on  pictures 

of  great  beauty.  Never  anywhere  else  was 
there  such  a  scene;  never  anywhere  else 
was  so  beautiful  a  picture  hung  in  so  rude 
a  frame;  never  anywhere  else,  on  a  back 
ground  so  forbidding  and  weird,  were  so 
many  glories  clustered.  Around  and  be 
yond,  there  is  nothing  but  the  desert — 
sere,  silent,  lifeless — as  though  Desolation 
had  builded  there  everlasting  thrones  to 
Sorrow  and  Despair. 

"Away  back  in  remote  ages,  over 
the  withered  breast  of  the  desert,  a  river  of 
fire,  100  miles  wide  and  400  miles  long, 
was  turned.  As  the  fiery  mass  cooled, 'its 
red  waves  became  transfixed,  and  turned 
black,  giving  to  the  double-desert  an  inde 
scribably  blasted  and  forbidding  face. 

"But  while  this  river  of  fire  was  in 
flow,  a  river  of  water  was  fighting  its  way 
across  it,  or  has  since  made  war  and  forged 
out  for  itself  a  channel  through  the  mass. 
This  channel  looks  like  the  grave  of  a  vol 
cano  that  had  been  robbed  of  its  dead.  But 
right  between  its  crumbling  and  repellent  walls,  transfiguration  appears.  And  such  a  picture!  A  river  as  lordly  as  the  Hudson  or  Ohio, 
springing  from  the  distant  snow-crested  Tetons,  with  waters  transparent  as  glass,  but  green  as  emerald,  with  majestic  flow  and  ever- 
increasing  volume,  sweeps  on  until  it  reaches  this  point  where  the  display  begins. 

"Suddenly,  in  different  places  in  the  river-bed,  jagged  rocky  reefs  are  upheaved,  dividing  the  current  into  four  rivers,  and  these,  in 
a  mighty  plunge  of  eighty  feet  downward,  dash  on  their  way.  Of  course  the  waters  are  churned  into  foam,  and  roll  over  the  precipice 
white  as  are  the  garments  of  the  morning  when  no  cloud  obscures  the  sun.  The  loveliest  of  these  falls  is  called  "The  Bridal  Veil," 
because  it  is  made  of  the  lace  which  is  woven  with  a  warp  of  falling  waters  and  a  woof  of  sunlight.  Above  this  and  near  the  right  bank, 
is  along  trail  of  foam,  and  this  is  called  "  The  Bridal  Trail."  The  other  channels  are  not  so  fair  as  the  one  called  "  The  Bridal  Veil," 


BANKS  OF  SNAKE  RIVER. 


BAD   LANDS  OF  WYOMING. 


WEBER  VALLEY,  AND  TUNNEL  THROUGH  GRANITE  WALLS,  UTAH. 


io8 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


but  they  are  more  fierce  and  wild,  and  carry 
in  their  ferocious  sweep  more  power. 

"One  of  the  reefs  which  divides  the 
river  in  mid-channel  runs  up  to  a  peak,  and 
on  this  a  family  of  eagles  have,  through  the 
years,  may  be  through  centuries,  made  their 
home  and  reared  their  young,  on  the  very 
verge  of  the  abyss  and  amid  the  full  echoes 
of  the  resounding  roar  of  the  falls.  Surely 
the  eagle  is  a  fitting  symbol  of  perfect  fear 
lessness,  and  of  that  exultation  which  comes 
with  battle  clamors. 

"  But  these  first  falls  are  but  a  begin 
ning.  The  greater  splendor  succeeds.  With 
swifter  flow,  the  startled  waters  dash  on, 
and  within  a  few  feet  take  their  second 
plunge  into  a  solid  crescent,  over  a  sheer 


PETRIFIED  TREES  OF  THE   BAD   LANDS. 


BEAUTIES  OF   THE   BAD   LANDS. 

extremities  of  its  arc  are  anchored,  and 
there  in  its  many-colored  robes  of  light  it 
lies  outstretched  above  the  abyss  like 
wreaths  of  flowers  above  a  sepulchre.  Up 
through  the  glory  and  terror  an  everlasting 
roar  ascends,  deep-toned  as  is  the  voice  of 
fate,  a  diapason  like  that  the  rolling  ocean 
chants  when  his  eager  surges  come  rushing 
in  to  greet  and  fiercely  woo  an  irresponsive 
promontory. 

"  But  to  feel  all  the  awe  and  to  mark 
all  the  splendor  and  power  that  comes  of 
the  mighty  display,  one  must  climb  down 
the  deep  descent  to  the  river's  brink  below, 
and  pressing  up  as  nearly  as  possible  to  the 
falls,  contemplate  the  tremendous  picture. 
There,  something  of  the  energy  that  creates 
that  endless  panorama  is  comprehended; 


precipice,  210  feet  to  the  abyss  below.  On 
the  brink  there  is  a  rolling  crest  of  white, 
dotted  here  and  there,  in  sharp  contrast, 
with  shining  eddies  of  green,  as  might  a 
necklace  of  emeralds  shimmer  on  a  throat  of 
snow,  and  then  the  leap  and  fall. 

"Here  more  than  foam  is  made. 
Here  the  waters  are  shivered  into  fleecy 
spray,  whiter  and  finer  than  any  miracle 
that  ever  fell  from  an  India  loom ;  while  from 
the  depths  below,  an  everlasting  vapor  rises — 
the  incense  of  the  waters  to  the  water's  God. 
Finally,  through  the  long,  unclouded  days, 
the  sun  sends  down  his  beams,  and  to  give 
the  startling  scene  its  growing  splendor, 
wreathes  the  terror  and  the  glory  in  a  rain 
bow  halo.  On  either  sullen  bank  the 


CEDAR  CANON,  BAD  LANDS  OF  DAKOTA. 


THE  BLUFFS  OF  GREEN  RIVER,  UTAH. 


no 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


all  the  deep  throbbings  of  the  mighty  river's  pulses  are  felt,  all  the  magnificence  is  seen.  In  the  reverberations  that  come  of  the  war  of 
waters,  one  hears  something  like  God's  voice;  something  like  the  splendor  of  God  is  before  his  eyes;  something  akin  to  God's  power  is 
manifesting  itself  before  him,  and  his  soul  shrinks  within  itself,  conscious,  as  never  before,  of  its  own  littleness  and  helplessness  in  the 
presence  of  the  workings  of  Nature's  immeasurable  forces. 

"Not  quite  so  massive  is  the  picture  as  is  Niagara,  but  it  has  more  lights  and  shades  and  loveliness,  as  though  a  hand  more  divinely 
skilled  had  mixed  the  tints,  and  with  more  delicate  art  had  transfixed  them  upon  that  picture  suspended  there  in  its  rugged  and  somber 
frame.  As  one  watches,  it  is  not  difficult  to  fancy  that,  away  back  in  the  immemorial  and  unrecorded  past,  the  angel  of  love  bewailed  the 
fact  that  mortals  were  to  be  given 
existence  in  a  spot  so  forbidding,  a 
spot  that,  apparently,  was  never  to 
be  warmed  with  God's  smile,  which 
was  never  to  make  a  sign  through 
which  God's  mercy  was  to  be  dis 
cerned;  that  then  omnipotence  was 
touched,  that  with  His  hand  He 
smote  the  hills  and  started  the  great 
river  in  its  flow;  that  with  His  finger 
He  traced  out  the  channel  across  the 
corpse  of  that  other  river  that  had 
been  fire,  mingled  the  sunbeams 
with  the  raging  waters,  and  made  it 
possible  in  that  fire-blasted  frame  of 
scoria  to  swing  a  picture  which 
should  be,  first  to  the  red  man  and 
later  to  the  pale  races,  a  certain  sign 
of  the  existence,  the  power,  and  the 
unapproachable  splendor  of  Jehovah. 

"And  as  the  red  man,  through 
the  centuries,  watched  the  spectacle, 
comprehending  nothing  except  that 
an  infinite  voice  was  smiting  his 
ears,  and  insufferable  glories  were 
blazing  before  his  eyes;  so,  through 

the  centuries  to  come,  the  pale  races  MOYEA  FALLS'  IDAHO" 

will  stand  upon  the  shuddering  shore  and  watch,  experiencing  a  mighty  impulse  to  put  off  the  sandals  from  their  feet,  under  an  over 
mastering  consciousness  that  the  spot  on  which  they  are  standing  is  holy  ground. 

"There  is  nothing  elsewhere  like  it,  nothing  half  so  weird,  so  beautiful,  so  clothed  in  majesty,  so  draped  with  terror;  nothing  else 
that  awakens  impressions  at  once  so  startling,  so  winsome,  so  profound.  While  journeying  through  the  desert,  to  come  suddenly  upon  it, 
the  spectacle  gives  one  something  of  the  emotions  that  would  be  experienced  in  beholding  a  resurrection  from  the  dead.  In  the  midst  of  what 
seems  like  a  dead  world,  suddenly  there  springs  into  irrepressible  life  something  so  marvelous,  so  grand,  so  caparisoned  with  loveliness  and 


u. 

'JU 

z 

O 

I 

(Ti 
O 
I 
O) 


U2  AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

irresistible  might,  that  the  head  is  bowed,  the  strained  heart  throbs  tumultuously,  and  the  awed  soul  sinks  to  its  knees."     The  time  is  fast 

approaching  when  the  sublime  glories  of  Shoshone  Falls  will  be  appreciated  by  tourists,  and  by  that  large  class  of  summer  vacationists  who 

are  always  searching  for  sights  and  places  that  will  drive  away  the  ennui 

from  which  they  chiefly  suffer.     The  beat  of  ocean  billow,   the  roar  of 

waterfall,  the  stretch  of  landscape  from  lofty  mountain  peak,  the  lonely 

quietude  of  glen  and  wilderness,  each  have  their  votaries;  but  about  Sho- 

shone's  chasm  there  is  more  to  charm  than  all  of  these,  for  the  very  desola 
tion  of  its  environments  adds  fascination  to  the  wild  and  tameless  scenery  of 

the  falls.     The  poet  and  the  painter  find  here  an  inspiration  for  their 

genius;   while    the   most   prosaic   spectator   is    thrilled   by   the  matchless 

grandeur,  the  majestic  awfulness  of  a  mad-cantering  river  plunging  through 

a  gigantic  rent,  and  over  a  precipice  so  high  that  the  waters  are  scattered 

into  mist  and  dissolve  in  rainbows  when  they  meet  the  seething  caldron 

below.     It  is  a  strange  exhibition  of  nature's  power  and  freakishness,  a 

manifestation   of   mysterious    force,   a  blending  of  results  precipitated  by 

vomiting  volcano  and  an  irresistible  flood  of  waters,  the  joining  of  rivers 

of  fire  with  streams  breaking  over  the  barriers  of  mountains  and  pouring 

y-  down  iipon  the  plains. 

Considering  the  surround 
ings,  the  bleak  sterility  of 
what  appears  to  be  a  bound 
less  extent  of  lava  fields,  and 
the  mighty,  awe-compelling 
avalanche  of  waters  that 
cleaves  it,  Shoshone  Falls 
is  perhaps  the  most  remark 
able  waterfall  to  be  found 
anywhere  on  either  conti 
nent,  a  wonder  i  n  which 
Snake  River  has  an  almost 
equal  part.  Indeed,  this 
extraordinary  river  exhibits 
many  equally  astonishing 
features  along  its  extreme 
length,  for  while  a  greater 
part  of  the  stream  flows 
through  a  belt  of  scoria,  the 
lower  portion  is  a  succession 
of  waterfalls,  second  only  to 
THE  FERRY  AT  SHOSHONE  FALLS.  those  of  Shoshone.  NATURAL  BRIDGE,  SHOSHONE  FALLS. 


CHAPTER  V. 

OVER  THE  HEIGHTS  AND  INTO  THE  DEEPS  OF  WONDERLAND. 


(STAVING  satisfied  our   curiosity    and   embalmed  the    views  of  Shoshone  Falls,  as  here  presented,  our  party  of   photographers  and 
\      historiographer  returned  to  Colorado  over  the  same  route  that  we  had  come,  but  at  Grand  Junction  we  proceeded  southward  over 
^\      the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Railroad  to  Gunnison,  Ouray  and  Tulleride.     At  Grand  Junction,  Grand  River  divides,  the  southern 
J[     branch  of  which  is  called  Gunnison  River,  and  takes  its  rise  in  the  Sagauche  and  Elk  ranges;  and  it  was  along  the  valley  of  this 
south  branch  that  our  route  lay.     It  is  characteristic  of  Colorado  rivers  that  all  of  them  flow  through  large  fissures,  and  a  majority 
have  cleft  the  mountains  into  mighty  chasms,  thus  producing  the  matchless  scenery  which  has  helped  so  much  to  make  the  State 
famous.     It  fortunately  happens  that  the  most  picturesque  places  in  the  west  are  either  directly  upon  the  lines  or  in  the  near  vicinity  of 

railroads,  for  necessity  has  compelled  their 

construction  along  the  river  valleys,  since 

there  are  few  other  passes  in  the  mount 
ains,  and  no  other  routes  so  feasible. 

The  scenery  along  the  south  branch 

of  Grand    River   is   very    similar  to   that 

which   we   have   described    on  the    main 

stream,    and    leaving   Grand  Junction   we 

almost  immediately  entered  the  Unaweep 

Canon,  thence  in  succession  Puniweep  and 

Escalante.     The  road  leaves  the  valley  of 

the  main  stream   at  Delta,  and  follows   a 

smaller  branch  (Cedar  River)   a  distance 

of  fifty  or  sixty  miles,  until    Cimarron  is 

reached,  below  the  southern  terminus   of 

the  Mesa  Verde.     In  this  interval,  and  run 
ning   along  the   north   side   of   the  Mesa 

Verde — Green  Plateau — is  the  Grand  Canon 

of  the  Gunnison,  a  cleft  in  the  earth  that 

is  magnificently  imposing,  possessing  as  it 

does  many  of  the  characteristics  of  Grand 

River,  though  the  walls  are  of  limestone 

and   hence   not   so    precipitous,    as  being 


- 


UNAWEEP  CANON. 


TOADSTOOL   ROCK,   NEAR  GUNNISON. 


more  easily  eroded  than  granite,  the  base  of  the  walls  are  cut  until  in  many  places  they  shelve  far  over  the  stream,  while  at  frequent 
intervals  the  river  is  broken  by  cascades  and  waterfalls,  those  of  Chippeta  being  particularly  beautiful. 

Black  Canon,  which  begins  near  the  town  of  Cimarron,  is  another  wild  gorge,  through  which  the  river  glides  with  stately  and 
uninterrupted  majesty,  a  deep  crystalline  stream,  until  it  passes  Curracanti  Needle,  when  the  smooth  flow  is  interrupted  by  bowlders  which 
convert  it  into  a  rapid.     Currecanti  Needle  is  an  object  which  excites  the  almost  reverent  wonder  of  every  beholder.     It  is  a  symmetrical 
"3  s 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


cone  of  red  basalt,  resting  its  feet  in  the  Gun- 
nison  River  and  shooting  up  to  an  amazing 
height,  its  summit  terminating  in  a  spire  that 
pierces  the  clouds,  while  its  body  is  as  varie 
gated  with  bright  colors  as  was  Joseph's  coat. 
On  each  side  of  the  stream  the  bluffs  reach  up 
2,000  feet,  but  the  needle  soars  very  much 
more  loftily,  a  great  sachem  among  the  stone 
giants  that  stand  in  colossal  files  along  the 
river.  Near  Sapinero,  which  is  at  the  eastern 
end  of  the  canon,  the  walls  draw  so  near 
together  that  the  light  of  day  is  almost  entirely 
excluded,  but  at  places  where  the  sun  is  ad 
mitted  they  sparkle  with  dazzling  lustre, 
caused  by  reflections  from  the  mica  of  which 
they  are  largely  composed. 

From  Gunnison  the  road  follows 
Tomachi  Creek  eastward,  passing  over  a  coun 
try  devoid  of  particular  interest,  except  as 
views  are  afforded  of  high  mountains  in  the 
Fossil  Ridge,  Sagauche  and  Sangre  de  Cristo 
ranges  far  away,  until  the  ascent  of  Marshall's 
Pass  is  begun.  The  road  now  rises  rapidly 
until  it  crosses  the  Rocky  Mountains,  at  an 
elevation  of  11,000  feet.  But  the  ascent  is 
indirect,  in  a  serpentine  course  close  to  the 
cone  of  Mount  Ouray,  which  penetrates  the 
depths  of  heaven,  to  a  height  of  14,000  feet; 
so  lofty  that  the  sun  shines  brightly  upon  its 
snow-covered  summit,  while  the  earth  below  is 
wrapped  in  the  sable  garments  of  deepest  night. 
Round  and  round,  but  in  an  ascending  circle, 
the  laboring  train  makes  its  toilsome  way,  until 
we  see  the  tracks  below  us  looking  like  a  suc 
cession  of  terraces.  At  the  apex  we  run  through 
a  long  tunnel  of  snow-sheds,  through  openings 
in  which  a  view  may  be  had  of  the  extinct 
crater  of  Ouray,  while  a  hundred  miles  away 
towards  the  south,  and  across  a  wide  expanse 
of  plain,  the  frosted  ridge  of  Sangre  de  Cristo 


BOX  CANON  FALLS,   NEAR  GUNNISON. 


EAGLE  ROCK,  SHOSHONE  FALLS. 


n6 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


is  clearly  visible  through  the  tenuous  air.  The  ride  over  this  great  mountain  is  one  of  the  most  delightful  and  picturesque  in  all  the  world, 
and  leaves  an  impression  which  is  as  charming  and  fadeless  as  the  memory  of  a  boy's  first  triumph.  After  passing  down  the  mountain 
side,  a  short  run  brings  us  to  Poncha  Junction,  at  the  entrance  of  the  Valley 
of  the  Arkansas,  and  a  few  miles  further  Salida  is  reached,  a  splendid 
little  town  that  is  begirt  with  mountains,  but  reposes  like  a  jewel  in  a  green 
sea  of  amazing  fertility  and  beauty.  As  we  rush  eastward  down  this  lovely 
valley,  some  wondrous  sights  are  viewable  from  our  car.  On  the  right  the 
Arkansas  River  bowls  along  close  by  the  track,  while  far  beyond  the 
horizon  is  belted  with  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  range.  On  our  left  our  eyes 
are  gladdened  with  the  sight  of  three  bristling  peaks,  known  as  Harvard, 
Princeton  and  Yale,  which  rise  above  their  more  humble  brothers  in  the 
Park  range.  The  scene  now  undergoes  a  quick  change,  for  the  valley  becomes 
rapidly  narrowed  by  the  mountains  drawing  together,  as  if  to  bar  our  pas 
sage;  but  as  their  seared  sides  and  snowy  crests  become  more  distinct  by  a 
closer  approach,  the  scenery  increases  in  interest  until  soon  it  develops  into 
positive  grandeur.  At  Parkdale  we  observe  that  the  sloping  sides  of  the 
mountains  are  becoming  more  abrupt  and  rocky,  until  five  miles  beyond, 
the  gigantic,  the  marvelous  and  the  terror-inspiring  Royal  Gorge  bursts 
full  upon  our  amazed  and  startled  senses.  The  colossal  peak  has  been 
cut  in  twain;  sliced  by  the  persistent  waters  of  the  Arkansas,  that  with 
remorseless  jaws  have  eaten  through  the  heart  of  the  giant  mountain  that 
lay  down  in  its  way;  and  there  the  great  gash  breaks  before  us,  into  which 
the  ravening  river  rushes,  with  a  growling  voice  and  imperious  dash,  as 
reckless  as  a  bandit,  and  impetuous  as  a  fiery  youth.  Pines  and  aspens 
struggle  up  the  mountain  sides,  but  where  the  waters  have  split  a  way 
there  is  nothing  save  vertical  walls  of  stone  that  soar  up,  up,  so  high  that 
it  wearies  the  sight  to  travel  to  their  summits.  There  are  seams  and 
depressions  in  their  awful  cliffs,  and  projections  and  cavities  that  show 
imprints  of  the  teeth  of  frost,  and  away  up  on  these  eagles  have  found 
resting  places,  and  built  their  eyries  where  only  the  storm-god  can  reach 
them.  Distance,  as  expressed  in  feet  on  paper,  conveys  scarcely  an  idea  of 
mountain  height  or  canon  depth,  for  the  awesome  presence  is  lacking.  But 
the  height  of  the  walls  of  the  Royal  Gorge,  or,  as  it  is  sometimes  called, 
the  Grand  Canon  of  the  Arkansas,  is  3,000  feet,  or  more  than  half  a  mile, 
while  the  chasm  is  only  fifty  feet  wide  where  the  river  rushes  through,  and 
but  seventy  feet  at  the  summit.  Three  Eiffel  towers,  set  upon  top  of  each 
other,  would  hardly  reach  the  crown  of  these  tremendous  cliffs,  around  the 
crests  of  which  flying  eagles  look  like  flies  lazily  swimming  in  a  haze  of 
distance.  In  order  to  avoid  cutting  a  road-bed  through  the  base  of  the  per 
pendicular  cliffs,  which  come  very  close  together,  an  iron  bridge  has  been  PROFILE  ROCK,  NEAR  OURAY. 


MOUTH  OF  GRAND  RIVER  CANON. 


n8 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


thrown  around  the  defile  and  suspended  by  anchoring  its  sides  in  the 
granite  walls,  so  that  it  has  no  pillared  supports,  for  none  are  needed. 
Upon  this  suspended  bridge,  which  runs  parallel  with  and  over  the 
stream,  every  passenger  train  stops  for  the  space  of  several  minutes  to 
give  opportunity  for  an  inspection  of  the  Royal  Gorge,  which  is  most 
appalling  and  wonderful  at  this  point. 

The  eastern  end  of  the  gorge  is  at  Canon  City,  and  after  leaving 
this  place  the  valley  widens  rapidly  and  spreads  out  into  an  arid  plain 
that  joins  the  prairies  of  Kansas.  The  change  from  a  weirdly  wild 
and  savagely  astounding  canon,  to  the  pale  landscape  of  a  verdureless 
desert,  is  very  sudden,  and  there  is  no  variation  in  the  passionless 
monotony  of  alkaline  plain  that  lies  between  the  mountain  and  Pueblo, 
a  distance  of  forty  miles.  The  Arkansas  loses  much  of  its  volume  and 
activity  in  struggling  through  the  parched  lands,  becoming  a  listless 
stream,  and  murky  with  sediment  that  is  gathered  from  its  fast- 
washing  banks. 

We  had  to  double  upon  our  route  very  often  in  order  to  reach 

the  numerous  points  of 
interest  and  charming 
scenery  which  is  accessi 
ble  by  railroad,  but  in 
many  cases  much  time 
was  saved  by  dividing 
our  party,  though  we  re 
frain  from  wearying  the 
reader  with  the  uninter 
esting  particulars  of 
these  movements.  In 
the  present  instance, 
however,  two  of  our 
photographers,  with  the 
camera  car,  proceeded 
southwest  from  Pueblo, 
over  the  Denver  &  Rio 
Grande  R.  R. ,  to  Wagon- 
Wheel  Gap,  while  the 
others  of  our  party  re 
turned,  by  way  of  the 
same  route  we  had  just 
LEANING  TOWER,  PERRY  PARK.  traversed,  to  Montrose, 


CASCADE   AT  OURAY. 


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a: 


u8 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


thrown  around  the  defile  and  suspended  by  anchoring  its  sides  in  the 
granite  walls,  so  that  it  has  no  pillared  supports,  for  none  are  needed. 
Upon  this  suspended  bridge,  which  runs  parallel  with  and  over  the 
stream,  every  passenger  train  stops  for  the  space  of  several  minutes  to 
give  opportunity  for  an  inspection  of  the  Royal  Gorge,  which  is  most 
appalling  and  wonderful  at  this  point. 

The  eastern  end  of  the  gorge  is  at  Canon  City,  and  after  leaving 
this  place  the  valley  widens  rapidly  and  spreads  out  into  an  arid  plain 
that  joins  the  prairies  of  Kansas.  The  change  from  a  weirdly  wild 
and  savagely  astounding  canon,  to  the  pale  landscape  of  a  verdureless 
desert,  is  very  sudden,  and  there  is  no  variation  in  the  passionless 
monotony  of  alkaline  plain  that  lies  between  the  mountain  and  Pueblo, 
a  distance  of  forty  miles.  The  Arkansas  loses  much  of  its  volume  and 
activity  in  struggling  through  the  parched  lands,  becoming  a  listless 
stream,  and  murky  with  sediment  that  is  gathered  from  its  fast- 
washing  banks. 

We  had  to  double  upon  our  route  very  often  in  order  to  reach 

the  numerous  points  of 
interest  and  charming 
scenery  which  is  accessi 
ble  by  railroad,  but  in 
many  cases  much  time 
was  saved  by  dividing 
our  party,  though  we  re 
frain  from  wearying  the 
reader  with  the  uninter 
esting  particulars  of 
these  movements.  In 
the  present  instance, 
however,  two  of  our 
photographers,  with  the 
camera  car,  proceeded 
southwest  from  Pueblo, 
over  the  Denver  &  Rio 
Grande  R.  R. ,  to  Wagon- 
Wheel  Gap,  while  the 
others  of  our  party  re 
turned,  by  way  of  the 
same  route  we  had  just 
LEANING  TOWER,  PERRY  PARK.  traversed,  to  Montrose, 


CASCADE   AT  OURAY. 


1 2O 

thence  to  Ouray,  and  from  that  terminus, 
by  stage,  to  Ironton,  a  distance  of  seven 
miles.  From  this  latter  point  they  fol 
lowed  the  sweep  of  the  same  road,  called 
the  Rainbow  route,  around  to  Alamoso, 
where  a  junction  was  made  with  the  two 
photographers  on  their  return  journey 
from  Wagon-Wheel  Gap. 

The  journey  south  from  Montrose 
is  along  Uncompaghre  River — every  little 
stream  is  called  a  river  in  the  far  west — 
which,  like  many  other  streams  we  have 
described,  has  worn  a  deep  bed,  in  which 
it  is  now  confined  by  high  walls  of  poly 
chromatic  colors,  very  beautiful  to  see. 
From  the  occasional  rises  over  which  the 
road  passes,  very  lovely  views  are  to  be 
had  of  Horse-Fly  Peak  on  the  west,  and 
the  rather  gentle  elevation  of  Tongue- 
Mesa  on  the  east.  At  Dallas  the  scenery 
becomes  much  more  rugged,  and  thence 
to  Ouray,  and  Silverton,  which  is  twenty 
miles  from  Ironton,  the  landscape  is 
tumultuous;  for  nature  is  here  in  strange 
derangement,  not  to  say  chaotic  dismem 
berment.  It  appeared  an  impossible  feat 
to  connect  Ouray  and  Ironton  by  a  stage- 
road,  so  tempestuously  craggy  is  the  inter 
val,  rent  as  it  is  by  mighty  chasm  and 
spurred  by  amazing  peaks  of  stones  piled 
up  into  vast  pyramids  of  confusion.  But 
engineering  skill  dominated  even  here, 
and  not  only  was  a  wagon-road  cut 
through  this  chain  of  obstacles,  but  a 
narrow-gauge  railroad  was  successfully 
constructed  between  Ironton  and 
Silverton. 

The  approach  to  Ouray  is  by  a  way 
impressively  magnificent,  through  rifts  in 
castellated  walls  that  are  rich  with  the 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


TWIN  FALLS,   NEAR   AMES,  COLORADO. 


CHIPPETA  FALLS,  4N  BLACK  CAfiON  OF  GUNNISON  RIVER. 


122 

primary  colors,  and  lofty  enough  to  bathe  their 
crests  in  the  clouds.  There  goes  the  river,  like 
a  belated  business  man  trying  to  overtake  time, 
roaring,  fretting,  panting,  with  hardly  enough 
space  between  the  escarpments  to  admit  its 
passage.  Along,  and  over  and  around  this 
mad-dashing  stream  the  road  winds,  up  and 
down,  in  and  out,  until  the  points  of  the  com 
pass  lose  their  bearings,  and  swing  around  in 
distraction. 

Ouray  lies  at  peace  with  the  world,  in  a 
basin  whose  sides  are  like  a  giant's  punch 
bowl,  only  that  the  confinement  is  by  a  succes 
sion  of  mountain  ranges  piling  up  behind  each 
other  until  the  highest  attain  an  altitude  of 
14,235  feet,  and  hold  perpetual  carnival  with 
the  snow-storm.  That  little  basin  seems  to  be 
the  paint-pot  of  the  Titans,  and  the  mountains 
their  mixing-boards.  Letting  our  sight  travel 
slowly  up  the  soaring  slopes,  every  step  of  the 
way  is  one  of  beauty.  Clothed  with  a  luxuri 
ous  growth  of  yellow  aspen,  the  brown  of  oak, 
the  deep  green  of  spruce,  and  the  silver  sheen 
of  mountain  pine,  the  picture  needs  only  a 
frame  to  make  it  perfect.  And  there  above  is 
the  thing  desired;  for  where  the  timber  line 
ends,  the  flaming  colors  of  red,  orange,  purple, 
gray  and  brown  stone  begins,  rising  ever  higher 
until  they  fade  away  behind  the  mists  that 
gather  about  the  peaks. 

As  we  proceed  on  the  way  to  Silverton 
the  road  inclines  through  forests  whose  autumn 
tints  keep  the  eye  dancing  with  admiration, 
and  having  descended  two  thousand  feet,  the 
mouth  of  Bear  Creek  is  reached,  where  it  rolls 
along  a  terrible  cataract,  known  as  Bear  Creek 
Cascade.  A  little  further  on,  we  dash  out 
upon  a  bridge  which  spans  a  dizzy  height,  for, 
there  below  us,  the  raging  creek  plunges  over 
a  precipice  275  feet  high,  and  is  dashed  into 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


JAWS  OF   DEATH,   ANIMAS  CANON. 


o 

Q 


g 

o 
o 


Qi 


124 

vapor  upon  the  rocks.  It  is  a  startling  sight 
to  behold  the  surging  waters,  and  watch  the 
mad  plunge  that  falls  into  a  cauldron  as  angry 
as  ever  witches  stretched  hands  about. 

Thence  onward  we  pursue  our  exciting 
ride,  with  mountains  on  either  side,  by  the 
Needles,  Sultan  Peak,  silver  cascades,  until 
soon  we  reach  the  Valley  of  the  Animas,  and 
are  presently  hurled  into  the  wildly  weird  and 
awfully  sublime  Animas  Canon.  A  very  sug 
gestive  name  was  given  by  the  early  Span 
iards  to  this  stream:  Rio  de  los  Animas, 
signifying  the  river  of  lost  souls,  for  nothing 
could  be  more  gruesomely  somber.  The 
canon  proper  is  about  fifteen  miles  long,  and 
lies  between  Rockwood  and  Durango,  and  is 
a  cleavage  that  separates  the  San  Juan  and 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


EXCAVATIONS  in  the  CLIFFS,  MANGOS  CANON. 


RUINS  OF  CLIFF  DWELLINGS   IN   MANGOS  CANON. 


WEST  SIDE   OF   MARSHALL   PASS,  SHOWING  THE  WINDING   DESCENT  OF   THE   ROAD. 


126 

San  Miguel  ranges.  The  walls 
are  perpendicular,  and  the  pas 
sage  so  narrow  that  the  sunlight 
can  hardly  get  through.  The 
railroad  runs  along  the  breast 
of  the  solid  rock  walls,  on  a 
ledge  or  balcony  that  had  to  be 
cut  in  the  sheer  escarpment, 
1,500  feet  above  the  river,  but 
the  top  of  the  frowning  enclos 
ure  is  still  500  feet  higher. 
Sitting  at  the  car  window,  the 
traveler  looks  down  into  what 
appears  to  be  an  almost  bottom 
less  gulch,  and  sees  the  beating 
waters  swirling  in  pools,  and 
tossing  in  a  terrific  tumult  that' 
fills  the  canon  with  deafening 
roar.  While  the  river  here  is 
a  succession  of  cataracts,  there 
are  waterfalls  on  either  side, 
leaping  down  from  bordering 
cliffs  and  joining  hands  with 
the  impetuous  river. 

A  few  miles  from  L,os  Pinos 
Canon  and  Toltec  Gorge  is  the 
bustling  town  of  Durango, 
which  is  the  supply  depot  for 
the  San  Juan  mining  district. 
This  place  received  a  great  im 
petus  by  the  reported  discovery 
of  rich  placer  gold  mines  in 
southeastern  Utah,  in  Novem 
ber  of  1892,  and  at  this  time  its 
future  appears  to  be  ve.ry  prom 
ising.  The  region  is  altogether 
one  of  extraordinary  interest 
alike  for  the  miner,  tourist  and 
relic-hunter,  for  thirty  miles 
west  of  the  town  are  the 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


CALCAREOUS  CLIFFS  OF  GRAND  RIVER. 


CO 
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128 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


picturesque  ruins  of  very  ancient  cliff-dwellers,  who,  in  the  early  centuries,  excavated  deep  recesses  in  the  perpendicular  walls  along  the 
Rio  Mancos,  and  there  made  their  homes.  Evidently  they  were  of  the  same  race,  and  no  doubt  were  contemporary  with  those  who  fled  from 
the  Spanish  persecutors  and  took  refuge  in  artificial  caves  in  the  Grand  Canon  of  the  Colorado. 

Southwest  of  these  now  vacant  cave  dwellings,  in  the  northeast  corner  of  Arizona,  is  a  short  branch  of  the  San  Juan  River,  known 
as  the  Rio  de  Chelly,  which  runs  through  a  canon  celebrated  in  the  history  of  Indian  warfare  as  presenting  the  most  serious  obstacles 
encountered  by  expeditions  under  Colonel  Sumner  and  General  Canby.  The  region,  and  particularly  De  Chelly  Canon,  was  the  stronghold 
of  the  Navajoe  Indians,  who  rendered  the  defile  almost  impregnable.  Time  and  again  efforts  were  made  by  large  bodies  of  troops  to  force 
a  passage,  but  as  often  they 
were  driven  back  by  the 
Indians  hurling  stones  down 
the  thousand  feet  of  perpen 
dicular  height.  The  rear 
was  likewise  protected  by 
remarkable  ruggedness  of 
the  approach,  and  an  army 
sent  against  them  was  thus 
held  at  bay  by  the  Indians 
for  several  months.  Kit 
Carson  was  finally  given  a 
commission  as  colonel  and 
sent  against  the  defiant 
marauders  with  a  force  of 
five  hundred  men.  Under 
standing  all  the  difficulties 
of  the  situation,  he  so  dis 
posed  his  army  as  to  hold 
the  Indians  within  their 
lines  of  refuge,  and  choos 
ing  winter  as  the  best  time 
for  action,  laid  a  siege  that 
effectually  cut  off  all  com 
munication.  Aid  from 
the  outside  being  thus  pre 
vented,  and  all  supplies  shut  off,  the  Navajoes  were  presently  reduced  to  such  straits  that  after  three  desperate  but  futile  efforts  to  escape, 
the  entire  band  surrendered. 

After  passing  through  Animas  Canon,  on  the  eastern  journey,  the  scenery  continues  impressively  beautiful,  for  several  pellucid 
streams  are  crossed  at  points  where  they  have  cut  deep  furrows  in  the  earth,  and  eaten  their  way  through  opposing  mountains.  At  Ignacio 
we  ?net  with  the  first  considerable  number  of  Indians  seen  thus  far  during  our  trip.  This  place  is  the  headquarters  of  the  Southern  Utes' 
reservation,  and  was  named  after  their  chief.  Twenty  miles  beyond  we  cross  the  Rio  Piedra  and  enter  the  valley  of  the  San  Juan,  which  is 
followed  for  nearly  sixty  miles,  and  until  Navajo  is  reached,  where  another  small  band  of  miserable-looking  Indians  have  their  quarters. 


PHANTOM  CURVE. 


TRAIL  OVER  THE  SAN  JUAN  MOUNTAINS. 


CREVICE  CANON,  NEAR  OURAY. 


130 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


and  besiege  incoming  passenger  trains  with  importunities  that  travelers  almost  invariably  generously  respond  to.  Now  we  are  running 
along  the  borders  of  New  Mexico,  a  line  of  demarkation  indicated  by  the  San  Juan  range  that  lies  north  of  us,  while  southward  stretches 
away  the  undulating  and  arid  plains.  At  Amargo  we  are  met  by  another  band  of  Indians,  whose  sullen  countenances  and  bedraggled 
appearance  plainly  show  them  to  be  Apaches,  whose  numbers,  however,  are  now  so  reduced  that  the  murderous  raids  which  made  the  tribe 
celebrated  in  the  early  annals  of  the  far  west,  are  not  likely  to  be  repeated  again. 

We  cross  the  Conejos  range  at  Cumbres,  at  an  elevation  of  10,000  feet,  and  after  traversing  a  lower  range  of  the  San  Juan  we  again  strike 
the  IvOS  Pinos  River,  and,  taking  a  turn  around  Prospect  Peak,  come  in  view  of  Toltec  Gorge,  one  of  the  most  fearfully  grand  canons  in  the 
world.  The  mountain  is  pierced  by  a  tunnel  near  its  summit,  which  is  approached  by  a  balcony  trestle,  on  which  the  east-bound  train  stops 
several  minutes  to  permit  the  passen 
gers  to  gaze  into  the  dreadful  depths  of 
the  chasm  over  which  they  hang.  For 
it  must  be  understood  that  the  road-bed 
is  built  here  upon  a  trestle  that  has 
all  its  fastenings  in  the  perpendicular 
walls,  and  without  any  support  be 
neath,  so  that  to  one  looking  from  the 
car  window  the  train  appears  to  be 
suspended  in  mid-air,  1,000  feet  above 
the  rolling  waters  below. 

The  gorge  is  1,200  feet  deep, 
and  besides  being  narrow,  the  walls  •WMJR 
are  perpendicular,  so  that  daylight 
tarries  but  a  short  while  in  its  pro 
found  recesses.  As  we  pass  the  Toltec 
Gorge,  Phantom  Curve  is  appoached, 
and  from  the  grandeur  and  awesome- 
ness  with  which  the  great  abyss  im 
pressed  us,  our  interest  is  quickened 
and  spell-bound  by  objects  that  at  once 
excite  wonder  and  curious  amazement. 
We  are  suddenly  introduced  to  forms 
more  strange  than  monstrous,  more 
remarkable  for  their  incongruity  than 
significant  for  their  grandeur.  The  chisels  of  nature's  sculptors,  frost,  water,  storms,  ice  and  decay  have  wrought  many  astounding  things 
in  stone,  which  rival  in  grotesque  eccentricity  the  queer  figiires  that  render  famous  the  Garden  of  the  Gods.  Passing  this  parade-ground  of 
nature's  idols,  we  strike  the  Big  Horn  Curve,  and  twist  like  a  contortionist  in  making  a  devious  descent,  that  winds  and  winds  until  at  last 
we  reach  the  feet  of  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  range,  at  Antonito.  Thence  our  direction  was  due  north,  over  a  level  country,  until  we  reached 
Alamosa,  where,  as  per  arrangement,  we  met  the  others  of  our  party  on  their  return  from  Wagon- Wheel  Gap.  Here  we  received  reports 
of  the  trip  from  Pueblo,  and  tarried  a  while  to  write  up  our  journals,  pack  our  negatives,  and  prepare  for  the  journey  that  by  a  long  sweep 
was  to  take  us  to  the  lands  of  the  Pacific. 


ANTELOPE   PARK,   NEAR  TOLTEC  GORGE. 


DEER  PARK  CASCADE,  ANIMAS  CANON. 


OURAY  AND  SILVERTON  STAGE-ROAD. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

The  trip  southward  from  Pueblo  possesses  comparatively  little  interest  until  Cuchara  Junction  is  reached,  where  one  branch  of  the 
Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railroad  starts  directly  west,  while  the  other  continues  south  to  Trinidad,  and  there  forms  a  junction  with  the 
Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  Railroad. 

At  Cuchara  the  scenery  changes  from  waste  plains  to  a  tumultuary  landscape  similar  to  sections  which  we  have  just  described.  The 
road  follows  the  valley  of  Cuchara  for  a  distance  of  twenty  miles,  and  then  begins  a  rapid  ascent  towards  Veta  Pass,  which  is,  in  some 
respects,  more  wonderful  than  even  Marshall  Pass.  In  one  place  the  grade  is  216  feet  to  the  mile,  so  steep  that  two  locomotives  are 
required  to  haul  even  light  trains,  and  so  serpentine  that  to  passengers  the  cars  appear  to  be  moving  in  a  circle.  When  the  summit  is 
reached,  an  altitude  of  9,400 
feet  above  sea  level  has  been 
gained,  and  there  is  a  pano 
rama  presented  that  it  seems 
almost  sacriligious  to  attempt 
to  describe.  Away  to  the 
south  rises  up,  like  monsters 
plucking  stars  from  the  sky, 
the  Spanish  Peaks,  whose 
frosted  heads  are  often  hidden 
by  clouds  that  gather  about 
them;  towards  the  west,  dim 
with  distance,  is  seen  the 
commanding  form  of  Sierra 
Blanca,  whose  crown  is  the 
very  heavens;  and  north 
ward,  La  Veta  Mountain, 
stupendous  and  sublime, 
stands  like  a  grizzly  sentinel, 
surveying  the  lesser  wonders 
of  nature  and  protecting 
them  against  the  fierce 
storms  that  beat  the  bronzed 
breasts  of  the  Rockies.  Mule- 
shoe  Curve,  over  which  we 
made  the  approach  up  Dump 
Mountain,  is  plainly  visible, 


BRE  ,N  SQUTH  pA        NEAR  pLAJTE 


as  are  the  numerous  tracks  that  gridiron  the  slopes,  and  the  waterfalls  that  play  hide  and  seek  along  the  mountain  sides.  Looking  down 
we  see  the  fast-receding  banks  and  almost  perpendicular  cliffs,  and  the  giant  bowlders  that  have  been  hurled  from  the  summit  into  the 
abyssmal  depths  a  mile  below,  gathered  into  dams  to  impede  the  flow  of  waters.  The  view  towards  the  east  is  unbroken,  and  there, 
spreading  out  like  the  lap  of  bounty,  we  watch  the  green  prairie  running  away  from  the  mountain  base  to  meet  the  horizon. 

Crossing  La  Veta's  lofty  pass,  the  descent  is  rapid  and  tortuous,  until  a  level  is  reached  in  the  San  Luis  Park,  which  is  abloom 
with  the  glories  of  cultivated  fields,  and  animate  with  grazing  herds.      This  great  park,  that  covers  an  area  equal  to  the  State  of 


CITY  OF  OURAY,  AND  OURAY  MOUNTAINS,  COLORADO. 


134 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


Connecticut,  was,  in  the  early  years  of  the  world's  life,  a  vast  inland  sea, 
though  its  elevation  is  now  more  than  7,000  feet.  The  earth  has  absorbed 
nearly  all  its  waters,  though  San  Luis  Lake  still  lies  near  its  center,  shin 
ing  like  a  sheet  of  silver,  and  is  fed  by  thirty  mountain  streams.  All  around 
this  lake,  whose  length  is  sixty  miles,  is  a  waving  savanna  of  luxuriant 
grasses,  which  form  the  frame  of  as  pretty  a  picture  as  the  eye  of  man  ever 
wandered  over. 

As  we  proceed  westward  from  La  Veta  Pass,  the  landscape  becomes 
somewhat  tame,  though  when  we  reach  Fort  Garland  the  grandest  view  is 
obtainable  of  Sierra  Blanca  Mountain,  whose  peak  is  at  an  elevation  of 
14,500  feet,  the  second  highest  in  America.  We  cross  San  Luis  Park,  and 
having  again  reached  Alamosa,  continue  on  towards  Wagon- Wheel  Gap,  by 
way  of  the  picturesque  valley  of  the  Rio  Grande  del  Norte.  Though 
while  en  route  we  pass  through  no  wonderful  canons,  the  way  is  full  of 
interest  and  beautiful  scenery.  The  river,  in  places,  spreads  out  into  a 
noiseless  and  sluggish  stream,  while  again  it  is  contracted  by  narrow  walls 
into  cascades  and  roaring  waterfalls  of  exceeding  magnificence.  Especially 
is  this  true  when  we  draw  near  to  Wagon- Wheel  Gap,  where  the  walls  are 
not  only  narrow,  but  rise  into  palisades  of  great  height  and  beauty,  and  at 
one  place,  for  the  distance  of  half  a  mile,  there  are  cliffs  that  soar  skyward 
and  lean  towards  the  river,  making  a  rocky  canopy  above  the  roadway  that 
hugs  the  rushing  stream. 

We  are  now  in  the  famous  Creede  mining  region,  where,  besides 
silver  to  lure  the  avaricious  seeker  of  riches,  there  is  much  to  excite  the 
admiration  of  the  tourist  and  lover  of  nature.  La  Gorita  Mountains  lie 
towards  the  north  in  vast  banks  of  haze,  and  the  southern  horizon  is  broken 
by  the  San  Juan  range.  Here,  also,  is  a  region  of  surprising  springs,  where 
boiling-hot  and  ice-cold  waters  gush  out  of  neighboring  hills,  and  in  places 
actually  strike  hands  to  neutralize  each  other.  Creede,  which  is  ten  miles 
from  Wagon-Wheel  Gap,  is  a  typical  mining  camp,  full  of  excitement 
and  all  the  concomitants  of  a  new  and  rich  discovery,  though  it  is 
rapidly  acquiring  civilized  ways.  Willow  Gulch  is  the  scene  of  greatest 
activity,  and  there  is  now  to  be  obtained,  for  a  fair  equivalent,  everything 
from  bad  fighting  whiskey  to  a  spring  bed,  though  the  latter  is  still  a  scarce 
luxury,  particularly  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Willow  Gulch. 

After  our  meeting  and  short  stay  at  Alamosa,  our  party  again  divided, 
two  of  our  photographers  going  south  from  that  point,  over  the  New  Mexico 
extension  of  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railroad,  to  Santa  Fe,  while  the 
other  proceeded  east  to  Cuchara  Junction,  thence  south  to  Trinidad,  and 
frpm  that  place  he  went  by  way  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka.  and  Santa  Fe 


MAIDEN  HAIR  FALLS,  NEAR  DUMP  MOUNTAIN, 


136 

Railroad,  to  Santa  Fe,  where  our  party 
again  united. 

The  route  directly  south  from  Ala- 
mosa  is  across  a  well-watered  country,  but 
there  is  nothing  of  particular  interest  in 
the  way  of  scenery  until  the  town  of 
Barranca  is  reached,  where  the  road  strikes 
the  Rio  Grande.  Out  of  a  level  plain  the 
train  now  dashes  into  deep  gorges,  and 
winds  along  the  banks  of  a  stream  that  is 
justly  celebrated  for  the  wild  and  rugged 
pageantry  of  mountains  which  it  pierces. 
Comanche  Canon  bursts  into  view,  a  glori 
ous  revelation  of  chaos,  whose  cliffs  of 
marl  and  basaltic  rock  have  tried  in  vain 
to  arrest  the  energy  and  daunt  the  skill  of 
civil  engineers.  As  a  consequence,  their 
sides  are  rent  and  bored  into  cuts  and  tun 
nels,  until  the  mountains  of  stone  are  made 
to  acknowledge  man's  sovereignty. 

Fifteen  miles  south  of  Barranca  is 
Espanola,  a  quaint  old  Spanish  town, 
whose  chief  interest,  however,  lies  in  the 
fact  that  it  is  the  nearest  railroad  point  to 
some  of  the  most  interesting  pueblos  and 
cliff  ruins  that  are  to  be  found  in  New 
Mexico.  The  Indian  adobes  in  this 
vicinity,  which  claim  the  largest  attention 
of  the  anthropologist,  are  those  of  San 
Juan,  Santa  Clara  and  San  Idelfonso,  all 
situated  within  three  or  four  miles  of 
Espanola.  At  Santa  Clara  are  also  the 
ruins  of  cliff  dwellings,  relics  of  the  habita 
tions  of  a  race  that  exists  no  longer,  save 
in  uncertain  traditions. 

The  little  knowledge  that  we  have 
respecting  these  ancient  people  is  derived 
from  the  investigations  of  the  late  James 
Stevenson,  chief  of  the  Hayden  Survey, 
who  explored  the  cliff  and  cave  dwellings 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


CLIFF  DWELLINGS  IN  THE  RIO  MANGOS  CAfiON. 


RUINS  OF  CLIFF  DWELLERS  IN  MANGOS  CANON,  COLORADO. 


138 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


of  Arizona  and  New  Mexico.  His  labors  were  rewarded  also  by  the  discovery  of  two  perfect  skeletons,  in  the  Canon  de  Chelly,  which 
proved  to  be  those.,  of  prehistoric  inhabitants.  He  also,  by  patient  study,  obtained  a  very  thorough  knowledge  of  the  religious  mythology 
of  the  Zunis,  and  secured  a  complete  collection  of  their  fetich-gods,  besides  familiarizing  himself  with  the  manners  and  beliefs  of  the 
Navajoes  and  Moquis.  We  hold  him  in  remembrance  for  his  pioneer  as  well  as  scientific  services.  It  was  Stevenson  that  made  the  first 
survey  of  Yellowstone  Park,  who  traced  the  Columbia  and  Snake  Rivers  to  their  sources,  and  who  was  the  first  white  man  to  climb  the 
Great  Tetons,  in  Wyoming,  and  reach  the  Indians'  sacred  altar,  which  has  been  kept  inviolate  for  centuries. 

The  six  ancient  pueblos,  which  are  still  inhabited  by  Indians,  were  discovered  by  the  Spaniards  only  forty-eight  years  after  Columbus 
first  landed  on  San  Salvador,  and  they 
are  thus  entitled  to  rank  among  the 
earliest  discoveries  of  this  character 
ever  made.  In  the  neighboring  cliffs 
are  numerous  cave  dwellings  equally 
prehistoric  in  their  origin,  but  which 
Mr.  Stevenson  explored  with  the 
most  valuable  results,  enabling  him  to 
determine  the  habits  and  peculiarities 
of  these  archaic  people.  On  the  west 
side  of  the  road,  and  bounded  by 
Caliente  Creek,  is  the  black  Mesa,  a 
curious  elevation  that  might  once  have 
been  an  island  in  the  ocean  that 
covered  this  region  when  the  world 
was  young.  Towards  the  east,  and 
in  bold  view,  is  the  Taos  range,  which 
merges  into  the  Culebra  range  further 
north,  and  thence  into  the  Sangre  de 
Cristo.  Between  the  railroad  and  the 
Taos  Mountain,  lies  the  town  of  Taos, 
in  a  beautiful  valley,  watered  by 
branches  of  the  Rio  Grande.  It  is  a 
quaint  old  place,  composed  chiefly  of 
two  great  adobe  buildings  five  stories 
high,  surrounded  by  prosperous 
ranches  and  crumbling  pueblos,  and 
is  celebrated  as  having  been  the  home  of  Kit  Carson,  and  the  place  where  his  body  reposes.  His  grave  is  marked  by  an  imposing  monu 
ment  erected  to  his  memory,  as  a  mark  of  gratitude  for  his  intrepid  services,  by  citizens  of  New  Mexico.  The  place  is  accordingly 
something  of  a  shrine,  but  is  not  much  visited,  because  it  is  about  twenty-five  miles  from  the  railroad,  except  on  the  30th  of  September  of 
each  year,  when  it  is  the  scene  of  a  great  festival,  at  which  thousands  of  people  gather.  A  more  beautiful  and  fertile  spot,  however,  is  not 
to  be  found  anywhere  in  the  west. 

Comanche  Canon  is  entered  just  above  Embudo,  by  way  of  which  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railroad  enters  the  Rio  Grande 


WEAPONS  AND  UTENSILS  OF   THE  CLIFF-DWELLERS. 


LAKE  SAN  CRISTOVAL,  IN  THE  LAP  OF  OURAY  MOUNTAINS,  COLORADO. 


140 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


Valley.     The  gorge  is  so  rugged  that  it  was  necessary  to  make  a  great  many  deep  cuts  in  the  walls  of  marl  and  basalt,  so  that  the  way 
through  the  canon  is  more  picturesque  by  reason  of  the  engineer's  work  than  nature  designed  it. 

Nearly  midway  between  the  pueblo  ruins  just  mentioned  and  the  city  of  Santa  Fe,  along  the  Rio  Grande,  is  the  Canon  Diabolo,  a 
chasm  that  is  not  strikingly  deep,  but  sufficiently  weird  to  justify  the  Satanic  appellation.  High  up  in  the  walls,  particularly  near 
Espanola,  are  relics  of  a  vanished  race,  in  the  form  of  excavations  which  once  served  as  habitations,  though  evidently  they  were  difficult  of 
access.  The  appearance  of  these  rock  perforations  are  very  similar  to  those  on  the  Rio  Mancos,  and  in  the  canon  cliffs  of  the  Colorado;  so 
nearly  identical,  in  fact,  that  Stevenson  expresses  the  belief  that  they  were  made  by  members  of  the  same  race,  who  took  refuge  in  these 
caves  when  driven  from  their  pueblos.  At  Santa  Fe,  a  short  stop  was  made  to  await  the  photographer  who  had  passed  around  by  Trinidad. 
The  trip  which  he  had  made  was  in 
every  respect  as  interesting  as  that 
which  we  had  taken  over  the  direct 
southern  route.  Upon  passing  beyond 
the  Sangre  de  Cristo  range  eastward, 
the  scenery  grows  tamely  monotonous 
for  a  time,  for  the  landscape  is  tire- 
somely  level.  But  before  reaching 
Trinidad,  another  agreeably  surprising 
change  occurs,  as  the  Raton  range 
breaks  into  view,  and  presents  a 
kaleidoscopic  variety  of  beautiful 
scenes.  Trinidad  lies  at  the  foot  of 
this  range,  and  though  it  may  not  be 
described  as  a  city  of  great  architectural 
magnificence,  certain  it  is  that  few 
places  can  boast  of  greater  interest  to 
the  tourist.  It  was,  long  ago,  the 
most  important  point  on  the  old  Santa 
Fe  trail,  and  its  ancient  adobe  houses 
were  objects  of  endearment  to  the  hearts 
of  freighters,  because  they  offered  both 
refuge  and  refreshment  after  the  perils 


THE  GRAVE  OF   KIT  CARSON,  AT  TAGS. 


of  a  dangerous  journey.  Though  a 
great  change  has  taken  place  since  the 
railroad  reached  the  town,  it  is  still  a  typical  Mexican  city,  which  even  the  electric  light  cannot  convert.  Passing  over  the  border  into 
New  Mexico,  the  scenery  is  varied  and  pleasing,  but  never  grand.  Instead  of  an  arid  region,  however,  the  country  is  diversified,  for  all  of 
the  northeastern  region  is  abundantly  watered  by  creeks  flowing  towards  the  southeast,  with  occasional  rivers,  like  the  Canadian, 
Cimarron  and  Pecos,  intersecting  the  railroad.  On  both  sides  of  the  road  there  are  numerous  knolls,  called  mesas,  and  craters  long 
since  burned  out.  The  ascent  of  Raton  Pass,  sometimes  called  the  "Devil's  Way,"  affords  many  exquisite  views,  of  which  the  Spanish 
Peaks,  one  hundred  miles  to  the  north,  are  chief,  for  the  atmosphere  is  so  clear  and  rare  that  they  appear  as  distinct  as  though  the  distance 
were  scarcely  one-fourth  so  great.  Upon  gaining  an  altitude  of  7,700  feet,  the  road  enters  a  tunnel  on  the  Raton  Crest,  and  after  a 


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142 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


half-mile  run  emerges  on  the  New  Mexico  side,  where  the  sunlight  appears  to  be  intensified  and  the  warmth  of  perpetual  summer  holds 
sway.  The  next  considerable  town  reached  after  leaving  Trinidad  is  Las  Vegas,  which  reposes  on  a  branch  of  the  Pecos,  the  center  of  a 
great  many  sheep  ranches,  and  it  is  wool  that  gives  it  chief  importance.  Six  miles  north  of  the  place  is  Las  Vegas  Hot  Springs,  a 
sanitarium  of  much  note,  located  in  a  region  of  considerable  beauty.  They  are  at  the  month  of  a  small  canon  which  leads  up  to  the 
Spanish  Range,  and  thence  joins  the  Rocky  Mountains;  the  waters  range  in  temperature  from  boiling  hot  to  almost  freezing  cold. 

At  a  station  called  Lamy,  there  is  a  branch  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  Railroad,  leading  north  eighteen  miles,  to  the 
ancient  and  interesting  city  of  Santa  Fe,  celebrated  in  American  history  as  being  the  second  oldest  town  in  the  United  States.  The  place 
contains  much  to  entertain  searchers  after  relics  of  the  past,  and  here  we  find  the  links  that  bind  the  old  Spanish  invaders  with  the  civiliza 
tion  of  to-day.  Settled  by  Catholics,  it  still  retains  the  characteristics  impressed  upon  it  by  the  Franciscan  fathers,  and  remains  true  to  the 

faith  in  which  it  was  first  baptized.     It  is 

the  seat  of  the  archiepiscopal  diocese,  and 

the  Cathedral  of   San  Francisco  is  the 

largest  church  edifice  in  the  territory,  as 

well  as  the  oldest,  the  original  part,  which 

still  remains,  having  been  built  as  early 

as  1622. 

Old  as  the  town  is,  Santa  Fe  is  the 

Phcenix  that  rose  from  one  that  was  very 

much  more  ancient,  for  the  site  was,  in 

the  ages  that  are  very  remote,  occupied  by 

an  Indian  pueblo,  the  ruins  of  which  are  still 

to  be  seen  in  what  is  known  as  the  "  Old 

Home."     But  the  most  curious  and  attract 
ive  object  within  the  city  is  the  Governor's 

Palace,   a   long,  low   building   erected    in 

1598,  a  summary  history  of  which  is  thus 

presented  by  Governor  Prince : 

"Without  disparaging   the    impor 
tance  of   any   of   the    cherished  historical 

localities  of  the  East,  it  may  be  truthfully 

said  that  this  ancient  palace  surpasses,  in 
CAVE  DWELL.NGS  in  the  CAtfON  DE  CHELLY.       historic  intefest  and  value>  any  Qther  place  A   REL.C  OF  THE   CAVE-DWELLERS. 

or  object  in  the  United  States.  It  antedates  the  settlement  of  Jamestown  by  nine  years,  and  that  of  Plymouth  by  twenty-two,  and  has 
stood  during  the  292  years  since  its  erection,  not  as  a  cold  rock  or  monument,  with  no  claim  upon  the  interest  of  humanity  except  the  bare 
fact  of  its  continued  existence,  but  as  the  living  center  of  everything  of  historic  importance  in  the  Southwest.  Through  all  that  long 
period,  whether  under  Spanish,  Pueblo,  Mexican,  or  American  control,  it  has  been  the  seat  of  power  and  authority.  Whether  the  ruler 
was  called  viceroy,  captain-general,  political  chief,  department  commander,  or  governor,  and  whether  he  presided  over  a  kingdom,  a 
province,  a  department,  or  a  territory,  this  has  been  his  official  residence.  From  here  Onate  started,  in  1599,  on  his  adventurous  expedition 
to  the  Eastern  plains;  here,  seven  years  later,  800  Indians  came  from  far-off  Quivira  to  ask  aid  in  their  war  with  the  Axtaos;  from  here,  in 
1618,  Vincente  de  Salivar  set  forth  to  the  Moqui  country,  only  to  be  turned  back  by  rumors  of  the  giants  to  be  encountered;  and  from  here 


LA  VETA  PASS,  COLORADO. 


144 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


Penalosa  and  his  brilliant  troop  started,  on  the  6th  of  March,  1662,  on  their  marvelous  expedition  to  the  Missouri;  in  one  of  its  strong-rooms 
the  commissary-general  of  the  Inquisition  was  imprisoned  a  few  years  later  by  the  same  Penalosa;  within  its  walls,  fortified  as  for  a  siege, 
the  bravest  of  the  Spaniards  were  massed  in  the  revolution  of  1680;  here,  on  the  19th  of  August  of  that  year,  was  given  the  order  to  execute 
forty-seven  Pueblo  prisoners,  in  the  plaza  which  faces  the  building;  here,  but  a  day  later,  was  the  sad  war-council  held  which  determined 
on  the  evacuation  of  the  city ;  here  was  the  scene  of  triumph  of  the  Pueblo  chieftains  as  they  ordered  the  destruction  of  the  Spanish  archives 
and  the  church  ornaments  in  one  grand  conflagration;  here  De  Vargas,  on  September  14,  1692,  after  the  eleven  hours'  combat  of  the 
preceding  day,  gave  thanks  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  to  whose  aid  he  attributed  his  triumphant  capture  of  the  city;  here,  more  than  a  century 
later,  on  March  3,  1807,  Lieutenant 
Pike  was  brought  before  Governor 
Alencaster  as  an  invader  of  Spanish 
soil;  here,  in  1822,  the  Mexican 
standard,  with  its  eagle  and  cactus, 
was  raised  in  token  that  New  Mexico 
was  no  longer  a  dependency  of  Spain; 
from  here,  on  the  6th  of  August, 
1837,  Governor  Perez  started  to  sub 
due  the  insurrection  in  the  north, 
only  to  return  two  days  later  and  to 
meet  his  death  on  the  9th,  near  Agua 
Fria;  here,  on  the  succeeding  day, 
Jose  Gonzales,  a  Pueblo  Indian  of 
Taos,  was  installed  as  Governor  of 
New  Mexico,  soon  after  to  be  executed 
by  order  of  Armijo;  here,  in  the  prin 
cipal  reception-room,  on  August  12, 
1846,  Captain  Cooke,  the  American 
envoy,  was  received  by  Governor 
Armijo  and  sent  back  with  a  message 
of  defiance;  and  here,  five  days  later, 
General  Kearney  formally  took  pos 
session  of  the  city,  and  slept,  after  his 
long  and  weary  march,  on  the  carpeted 
earthen  floor  of  the  palace." 


ABANDONED  CAVE   HABITATIONS  OF  THE  CLIFF-DWELLERS,   NEAR  ESPANOLA. 


Santa  Fe  now  has  many  things  that  belong  to  the  present  age:  street  cars,  electric  lights,  etc.,  but  she  is,  nevertheless,  still  a  place  of 
adobe  houses,  before  which  there  is  ever  a  varied  commingling  of  Americans,  Mexicans  and  Indians.  She  is  also  the  center  of  archaeological 
interest,  for  besides  the  ancient  objects  which  are  to  be  found  within  her  urban  limits,  there  are  villages  near-by  which  present  all  the 
aspects  of  the  aborigines,  practically  as  they  appeared  to  Cortes  and  Coronado.  These  adobe  places  and  their  inhabitants  are  called  pueblos, 
because  that  is  the  old  Indian  name  signifying  town.  The  pueblos  in  New  Mexico  are  nineteen  in  number,  and  while  varying  in  size,  they 
are  very  similar  in  appearance,  showing,  as  they  do,  no  variation  of  architecture.  The  houses  were  built  to  accommodate  from  one  hundred 
to  several  hundred  persons,  as  the  Pueblo  Indians  were  communistic  in  their  manner  of  living.  Instead  of  being  one  or  two-story  structures 


WAGON-WHEEL  GAP. 
10 


146 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


like  the  present  style  of  Mexican  and  the  old  Spanish  adobes,  the  houses  were  built  one  upon  another,  in  a  succession  of  terraces,  sometimes 
five  or  more  in  number,  the  upper  stories  being  accessible  only  by  means  of  ladders.  The  most  noted  of  these  pueblos  are  Taos,  Laguna, 
Acoma,  Santa  Clara,  Zuni  and  Santo  Domingo.  Albuquerque  was  also  originally  an  Indian  pueblo,  built  upon  a  slight  elevation  of  rock, 
and  the  place  still  contains  several  clusters  of  square,  flat-roofed  adobe  houses,  arranged  in  terraces,  as  before  described.  The  walls  of  these 
strange  dwellings  are  very  thick,  and  the  interior  is  gained,  not  through  doors,  but  by  entrance-ways  cut  in  the  roof,  which  is  reached 
only  by  ladders.  The  Pueblo 
Indians  have  been  pronounced 
by  many  ethnologists  to  be  the 
oldest  race  now  living  on  the 
continent,  though  many  others 
regard  them  as  being  the  de 
scendants  of  the  Aztecs,  whose 
ancient  kingdom  of  Cibola 
extended  from  Colorado  and 
Utah  on  the  north,  to  Central 
America  on  the  south.  The 
capital  of  this  extinct  empire  is 
supposed  to  have  been  situated 
in  Penal  county,  Arizona,  the 
ruins  of  which  are  traceable 
along  the  Gila  River,  in  what 
is  known  as  the  Casa  Grandes. 
Remarkable  stories  have  been 
told  of  the  relics  of  this  ruined 
city,  enthusiasts  often  describ 
ing  them  as  equal  in  grandeur 
to  the  prostrate  columns  and 
mighty  archways  that  speak  in 
imperishable  stone  of  the  mag 
nificence  of  ancient  Egyptian 
cities.  The  Montezumas  were 
supposed  to  have  held  their 
court  in  the  splendid  stone  pal 
aces  whose  relics  lie  scattered 
through  the  Casa  Grandes,  and 
whose  carvings  and  hiero 
glyphics  seem  to  attest  the  departed  glory  of  a  once  mighty  people.  These  famous  ruins  are  twelve  miles  north  of  Florence,  a  station  on 
the  Southern  Pacific,  and  are  in  a  region  of  great  picturesqueness,  which  is  traversed  by  a  good  wagon-road  running  along  the  Gila  River. 
The  route  is  through.an  arid  plain,  in  which  the  only  vegetation  is  mesquite  and  cactus,  but  the  parched  desert  is  gracefully  confined  by  a 
beautiful  and  opalescent  range  of  mountains,  while  overhead  is  a  sapphirine  sky  more  brilliant  than  ever  hung  over  Italy.  The  river 


SPANISH   PEAKS,   FROM   LAS  VEGAS,   NEW   MEXICO. 


LOS  P1NOS  VALLEY,  LOOKING  WEST. 


148 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


margin  is  like  a  blue  wave,  colored  as  it  is  by  the  tossing  heads  of  wild  lilac  flowers,  which  find  protection  from  the  beating  sun  under  the 
waving  branches  of  banks  of  willows  that  stoop  low  to  drink  from  the  river.  There,  under  the  shadows  of  the  Tucson  Mountains  and  the 
Sierra  Catarina  range,  are  the  colossal  ruins  of  the  Casa  Grandes.  The  buildings,  of  which  confused  heaps  are  all  that  now  remain,  were 
of  irregular  style,  but  of  some  architectural  pretension,  for  the  walls  were  constructed  of  concrete,  moulded  into  blocks  nearly  three  feet 
square.  The  principal  structure,  which  has  long  been  called  Montezuma's  Palace,  was  about  sixty  feet  long  by  fifty  broad,  and  stood  five 
stories,  or  forty  feet  high.  For  windows  there  was  a  square  aperture  over  each  door,  wholly  insufficient  for  either  light  or  ventilation, 
though  the  ancient  Indians  were  not  partial  to  either,  apparently  preferring  darkness;  and  living  in  the  closest  communal  state,  they 
appreciated  fresh  air  like  they 
did  the  storm  and  cold,  only 
when  it  was  on  the  outside. 

Occasional  pieces  of 
copper  are  found  in  the  Casa 
Grandes  ruins,  but  no  iron,  and 
the  cutting  instruments  of  the 
original  occupants  were  made 
of  obsidian,  as  were  their 
arrows.  Pottery  still  strews 
the  ground  about,  but  there  are 
no  evidences  to  support  the  old 
legends  of  magnificence  with 
which  early  travelers  invested 
the  so-called  palace.  But  there 
are  plainly  to  be  seen  ruins 
of  a  great  wall  that  once  en 
closed  the  city,  on  which  were 
sentinel  towers  rising  several 
feet  above  the  main  wall,  thus 
proving  that  this  was  not  en 
tirely  a  land  of  peace,  nor  do 
appearances  indicate  that  it 
was  one  of  plenty.  The 
Apaches,  no  doubt,  harried  the 
less  war-like  Moqui,  who  were 
at  last 'driven  southward,  and  MEXICAN  OVENS'  USED  PRINCIPALLY  BY  THE  PUEBLO  IND.ANS. 

left  ruins  of  similar  cities  along  their  gradual  retreat  from  Utah  to  Mexico.     Professor  A.  L-  Heister,  the  antiquarian,  who  has  made  a  long 
and  patient  investigation  of  the  pueblo  ruins  in  southwest  New  Mexico,  thus  writes  of  his  discoveries : 

"  Within  a  radius  of  five  miles  of  St.  Joseph,  New  Mexico,  I  have  discovered  several  hundred  ruins  of  the  habitations  of  prehistoric 
man.  In  these  ruins — the  walls  of  which  are  built  of  undressed  stone  and  cement — are  found  the  remains  of  huge  cisterns;  walls  of  fortifi 
cation;  queer  implements  of  bone  and  stone;  beautifully  designed,  carved  or  painted  pottery,  together  with  odd  and  artistic  pictures,  characters 
and  symbols  cut  upon  large  rocks  in  canons  near,  and  with  such  nicety  of  taste  as  serve  to  strike  the  beholder  with  wonder  and  admiration. 


ADOBE  VILLAGE  OF  PUEBLO  INDIANS,  NEW  MEXICO 


i5o  AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

"The  ruins  are  generally  found  on  high  ground,  and  are  composed  of  from  two  to  several  hundred  rooms,  averaging  about  eight  by 
ten  feet,  and  six  to  eight  feet  in  height.  In  some  cases  the  buildings  have  been  two  stories  high.  There  has  been  a  side  entrance  to  all 
of  these  rooms,  but  these  openings,  from  some  cause,  have  been  carefully  walled  up. 

"These  people  were  larger  than  those  of  to-day,  some  of  them  being  fully  eight  feet  high.  I  am  led  to  believe  their  average  height 
was  not  less  than  seven  feet.  They  buried  their  dead  in  the  ground  floors  of  their  rooms,  with  the  heads  towards  the  east,  and,  as  a  rule, 
their  pottery,  trinkets  and  personal  ornaments  with  them.  In  excavating  these  ruins,  one  is  constantly  impressed  with  one  paramount 
wonder — their  great  age.  Huge  pine  trees,  three  and  four  feet  in  diameter  and  100  feet  high,  flourish  upon  the  walls  and  in  the  rooms  of 
these  habitations  of  forgotten 
man.  The  infilling  of  drift  and 
the  increase  of  surface,  caused 
by  vegetable  growth  and  decay, 
is  very  slow,  and  has  been  esti 
mated  by  some  geologists  to 
average  about  one  foot  in  eighty 
years.  Admitting  this  to  be  near 
the  truth,  our  surprise  knows 
no  bounds  when,  on  sinking 
directly  under  these  giant  trees, 
we  pass  through  from  six  to  ten 
feet  of  vegetable  mold,  then  en 
counter  from  one  to  three  feet  of 
clean-washed  sand  and  gravel, 
then  a  solid  earthen  floor  cov 
ered  with  ashes,  charcoal,  bones 
and  fragments  of  broken  pot 
tery.  Yet  still  below  this  are 
the  skeletons  of  human  beings, 
surrounded  by  their  pottery, 
weapons  and  ornaments  of 
stone,  bone  and  copper.  My 
own  opinion  is  that  these  people 
were  either  Aztecs  or  Toltecs. 
They  were  sun-worshipers  and 

well  advanced  in  carving,  painting,  building,  weaving  and  agriculture.     They  flourished  many  centuries  in  Colorado,  Arizona,  New  Mexico, 
Mexico,  Central  and  South  America,  and  were  exterminated  either  by  famine,  flood,  disease  or  volcanic  action  at  least  1,000  years  ago. 

"In  the  eastern  part  of  this  (Socorro)  county  are  the  ruins  of  an  immense  city  known  as  the  Grande  Quivero,  covering  two  by  two 
and  one-half  miles  square.  Its  walls  are,  in  some  places,  eight  feet  thick,  forty  feet  high,  and  700  feet  long.  A  great  aqueduct  carried 
water  to  the  city,  but  to-day  there  is  no  water  within  forty  miles  of  this  ancient  wonder.  It  stands  silent  and  alone  in  the  sunlight  and 
moonlight,  and  where  once  the  love,  industry  and  skill  of  an  unknown  race  made  thousands  of  beautiful  and  happy  homes,  the  coyote,  bat 
and  snake  now  hold  sway.  When  and  by  whom  it  was  built  was  a  mystery  to  the  Mexican  people  more  than  300  years  ago." 


SCENE  ON  THE  GREAT  AMERICAN  DESERT. 


THE  PUEBLO  VILLAGE  OF  LA  GUNA. 


INNER  COURT  OF  A  PUEBLO  TOWN,  ARIZONA. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

ACROSS  THE  CACTUS  DESERT  INTO  CALIFORNIA'S  GOLDEN  LAND. 


EAVING  Santa  Fe,  we   continued   our  journey  westward  over  the  Atchison,    Topeka   and   Santa  Fe  Railroad,    and   striking  the 
Rio  Grande  a  short   distance   south  of  White  Rock  Canon,   followed  the  bank  of  that  stream  through  some  very  handsome 
scenery  until  we  reached  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Junction.     Thence  for  a  while  the  route  was  through  an  arid  section,  where  alkali 
and  musquite  abounded;  an  unchangeable  waste  of  black  sterility;  a  country  so  level  that  the  laying  of  a  railroad  track  was 
i  f        attended   by  no  difficulties,  but  keeping  it  clear  of  sand  is  a  work  of  great  perverseness.      We  were  now  on  the  line  of  the 
eJ  U       Atlantic   and   Pacific,  which   crosses  a  branch  of  the  Rio  Grande  at  Rio  Puerco,    and   soon   after  follows   the   valley   of  that 
stream  for  about  sixty  miles.     I/aguna  is  on  the  way,  and  north  and  south  are  mesas,  dry  lakes  and  lava  beds,  but  there  is  no  pictur- 

esqueness  of  landscape.  South  of 
Fort  Wingate,  just  east  of  the  Arizona 
border,  is  the  Zuni  Plateau,  in  which 
several  old  ruins  are  still  to  be  seen; 
but  if  we  except  the  Indians,  who 
exist  in  the  most  miserable  condition, 
and  old  ruins  and  craters  of  extinct 
volcanoes,  the  region  is  without  inter 
est,  and  has  few  features  worthy  of 
the  photographer's  art. 

After  reaching  Arizona,  the 
road  passes  through  a  corner  of  the 
Perco  and  Zuni  reservations,  and  fol 
lows  the  old  trail  leading  to  Prescott. 
Immediately  south  of  Flagstaff,  and  in 
sight  of  that  place,  are  more  ruins  of 
cliff  dwellings,  built  in  the  banks  of 
Walnut  Creek,  but  so  faded  as  to  be 
scarcely  distinguishable  now.  We 
are  now  in  the  Cactus  plain,  where 
immense  stalks  of  that  curious  vege 
table  growth  rise  to  the  dignity  of 
branchless  trees,  prickly  and  often 
grotesque. 

NAVAJO  CHURCH,   NEAR  FORT  WINGATE.  At  *  Htfle.  f tiOU  Calkd  P^ 

bprings,  the  road  draws  very  near  the 

Hualpai  reservation,  and  is  within  less  than  a  score  of  miles  of  the  Grand  Canon  of  the  Colorado;  but,  though  short,  the  way  is  a  difficult 
one,  over  parched  sands  and  an  eye-wearying  desolation,  until  within  four  or  five  miles  of  the  canon,  when  the  approach  to  water  is 
153 


THE  NEEDLES,  ALONG  THE  RIO  GRANDE. 


156 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


indicated  by  a  gradual  increase  of  vegetation,  which,  however,  never  becomes  rank,  even  along  the  river-shore.  A  stage-line  is  now 
running  from  Flagstaff,  which,  though  not  so  near  as  Peach  Springs,  offers  a  much  easier  route  to  the  canon.  The  trip  from  Flagstaff  is 
made  in  twelve  hours,  and,  by  comfortable  stages,  the  traveler  is  taken  to  one  of  the  most  imposing  points  in  the  canon  (Marble  Canon), 
where  the  descent  is  sheer  6,000  feet,  and  a  panorama  is  afforded  of  frightful  chasm,  curiously  chaotic  walls,  strange  formations,  and  moun 
tains  breaking  one  behind  the  other,  like  waves  on  the  ocean,  until  sight  fades  into  the  perspective  of  distance.  Here  terror  and  sublimity, 
in  a  marvel  of  natural  extremes, 
have  formed  perpetual  alliance 
to  excite  amazement  in  the 
mind  of  every  visitor. 

We  cross  the  Colorado  at 
Powell,  where,  to  the  south,  are 
Red  Rock  buttes,  and  to  the 
north  are  the  Needles,  the  latter 
being  hills  that  nin  up  into 
sharp  peaks,  and  then  fall  away 
to  join  a  long  stretch  of  plain. 
Black  Mountains  run  parallel 
with  the  river  on  the  north, 
near  the  foot  of  which,  but  on 
the  river-shore,  is  a  Mohave 
village,  a  settlement  of  that 
miserable  remnant,  who  from 
a  powerful  people  have  degen 
erated,  through  oppression  and 
decimation,  until  they  are 
scarcely  a  degree  removed  from 
the  Digger  Indians.  The  res 
ervation  proper  of  this  tribe  is, 
however,  near  the  Navajoes,  in 
the  northeastern  part  of  the 
territory. 

Crossing  the  Colorado,  we 
strike  the  desert  district  of 
California,  which  extends 
through  the  counties  of  San 
Bernardino  and  Kern,  a  distance 


NATURAL   BRIDGE,   NEAR  MONTEREY,  CALIFORNIA. 


of  nearly  three  hundred  miles.  Adjoining  these  two  counties  on  the  north  is  Inyo  county,  into  which  the  Carson  and  Colorado  Railroad 
extends  southward  as  far  as  Owen's  Lake.  This  county  is  remarkable  for  embracing  a  region  of  extraordinary  wonders,  greater,  indeed, 
in  several  respects,  than  any  other  district  in  the  world.  In  the  northern  part  is  a  marvelous  depression,  159  feet  below  sea  level,  and 
nearly  150  miles  in  circumference,  known  as  Death  Valley.  It  is  distinctively  a  volcanic  region,  in  which,  however,  the  fires  are  long  since 


A  CENTURY  PLANT  IN  BLOOM,  CALIFORNIA. 


A  CACTUS  FENCE,  IN  ARIZONA. 


15* 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


burned  out,  leaving  the  desert  a  vast  field  of  cinders, 
so  parched  that  no  drop  of  water  exists  within  its 
borders,  though  rivers  of  lava  ramify  it  in  every 
direction.  Many  have  perished  in  an  effort  to  cross 
this  fiery  plain;  and  looking  across  it  from  the  margin, 
the  observer  sees  a  shimmer  in  the  air,  as  if  a  furnace 
were  in  active  blast  beneath.  Here  the  temperature 
rises  to  122  degrees,  and  the  air  hangs  in  a  hot 
envelope,  lazily  swinging  to  and  fro,  rising  and  fall 
ing  in  waves  of  heat,  and  making  the  sands  blaze 
with  an  almost  blinding  light.  Scorched,  burned- 
out  and  furnace-like  though  the  region  be,  it  is, 
nevertheless,  the  abode  of  life,  but  no  less  curious 
than  is  the  valley  itself.  The  centipede,  scorpion 
and  horned-toad  find  here  a  congenial  habitation; 
and,  strange  to  say,  a  species  of  kangaroo-rat  is  pecu 
liar  to  this  cursed  spot,  burrowing  in  the  hot  sand 
and  feeding  on  insects. 

Thunder-storms  beat  around  the  valley,  but 
no  drop  of  rain  ever  moistens  its  burning  lips.  The 
dryness  of  the  air  is  such  a  preserver  of  dead  bodies 
that  decay  is  impossible,  and  the  animals  that  die 
within  its  borders  are  mummified  until  they  become 
like  parchment.  This  cursed  spot,  sown  as  it  is 
with  dragon's  teeth,  is  not  entirely  without  its  attrac 
tions,  though  they  are  as  dangerous  as  were  the  soft, 
lute-like  voices  of  the  Sirens.  It  is  the  field  of  won 
derful  illusion,  from  which  spring  into  the  quivering 
air  the  most  astounding  and  alluring  mirages:  rip 
pling  brooks,  waving  palms,  floral  meadows,  ships 
under  sail,  banks  of  thyme,  and  travelers  moving  in 
procession  across  a  landscape  more  beautiful  than  an 
oriental  vision. 

Continuing  our  journey  westward,  we  passed 
through  a  large  arid  district,  in  which  dry  lakes  with 
beds  white  with  soda,  and  shining  in  the  blazing 
sun,  were  plentiful  on  both  sides,  but  seeing  no  more 
interesting  features  until  we  arrived  at  Los  Angeles. 
Here  we  found  much  to  amuse,  and  often  to  instruct. 
It  is  an  old  town,  settled  by  the  Spaniards,  in  1780, 


THE  GREAT  TELESCOPE,  IN  LICK  OBSERVATORY. 


i6o 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


and  although  now  a  beautiful  city,  it  has  not  entirely  put  aside  the  garments  of  antiquity  with  which  the  ancient  church  fathers  invested  it. 
Many  old  adobe  buildings  still  remain,  and  there  are  not  wanting  the  ruins  of  quaint  and  curious  monasteries,  moss-covered,  and  with 
broken  walls  and  dilapidated  belfreys,  in  which  the  ghosts  of  long  ago  seem  to  have  their  haunt. 

The  river,  which  washes  the  eastern  limits  of  the  city,  is  a  sluggish  stream,  but  it  imparts  refreshment  to  one  of  the  most  fertile 
valleys  to  be  found  anywhere  in  California.  Here  we  find  a  succession  of  orange-groves  and  vineyards,  bending  low  with  golden  and  purple 
fruitage,  while  beyond  the  city's  skirts  are  orchards  of  walnut,  olive  and  almond,  from  which  profitable  crops  are  annually  gathered. 

San  Diego,  147  miles 
south  of  Los  Angeles,  is  another 
beautiful  place,  the  center  of  a 
delightful  region,  but  its  inter 
est  lies  very  largely  in  the  fact 
that  it  was  at  this  place  the  first 
white  settler  in  California 
pitched  his  tent,  as  early  as 
1769.  This  great  Spanish  pio 
neer,  Father  Junipero  Serra  by 
name,  became  the  founder  of 
twenty-one  missions  in  Cali 
fornia,  some  of  which  still 
remain  in  a  fair  state  of  preser 
vation,  but  a  majority  exist  as 
mere  reminders  of  the  olden 
time  when  the  Franciscan  friars 
dominated  that  portion  of  the 
Spanish  territory.  In  this 
southern  region  the  landscape 
is  monotonous,  and  the  air  is 
usually  hot,  from  which  fact,  no 
doubt,  came  the  name  "Cali 
fornia,"  which,  in  the  Spanish, 
signifies  "hot  furnace,"  and 
was  bestowed  by  the  discoverer, 
in  1534. 

Proceeding  northward, 


OUR  STAGE-COACH  CROSSING  THE  SANTA  INEZ. 


the  scenery  becomes  more  varied  and  pleasing,  for  above  Los  Angeles  a  mountainous  district  is  passed,  with  the  San  Bernardino  and 
Sierra  de  San  Rafael  ranges  on  the  right,  and  the  Monica  and  Santa  Inez  ranges  on  the  left.  Still  further  north  are  the  San  Benito 
Mountains,  paralleling  the  San  Juan  River,  along  whose  magnificent  valley  the  railroad  runs  until  it  reaches  Castroville  on  the  coast,  just 
above  Monterey.  This  latter  place  is  one  of  very  great  attractiveness,  not  only  for  its  historical  associations,  as  the  seat  of  Spanish  Govern 
ment  in  California  until  1847,  but  also  because  it  is  the  best  specimen  of  the  old-time  adobe  cities  which  now  remains,  as  well  as  the  location 
of  one  of  the  most  exquisite  gardens  and  charming  hotels  that  is  to  be  found  either  in  or  out  of  America.  The  Hotel  del  Monte  is  a  building 


MAGNOLIA  AVENUE,   RIVERSIDE,  CALIFORNIA. 


i6a 

of  much  beauty  in  itself,  but  the  very  large 
grounds  which  surround  it  have  been  culti 
vated  until  they  are  a  veritable  paradise  of 
noble  oaks,  rich  green  lawns,  and  bewilder 
ing  flower-beds,  dimpled  with  every  hue  that 
nature  is  capable  of  painting.  The  old  town 
is  a  ghost  of  antiquity,  the  skeleton  of  a 
remote  past,  whose  bony  fingers  point  back 
ward,  as  if  beckoning  beseechingly  to  the 
long  ago.  There  is  the  mission  house, 
rickety  and  tattered,  raising  its  palsied  head 
barely  above  the  adobe  walls  which  once 
served  so  well  to  defend  it  against  enemies. 
But  the  wall,  very  thick  though  it  was,  has 
been  badly  breached  by  the  catapults  of 
time,  and  having  done  faithful  guard-duty 
in  the  early  days,  it  is  now  like  the  grave  of 
a  hero,  which  has  become  a  shrine,  to  which 
many  are  drawn  by  curiosity  as  well  as 
by  respect. 

From  Monterey  northward  the  road 
runs  through  the  incomparably  beautiful 
and  fertile  Santa  Clara  Valley,  a  region  where 
nature  is  always  in  good  humor,  and  so  fat 
that  every  time  she  laughs  she  shakes  out  a 
harvest.  Towards  the  left  spreads  away  a 
waving  plain  in  richest  cultivation,  while  on 
the  right  towers  the  Coast  range  of  mount 
ains,  whose  summits,  bathed  perpetually  in 
a  clear  atmosphere,  look  in  the  distance  like 
a  vast  ridge  of  sapphires  supporting  the  sky. 

At  San  Jose,  a  lovely  city  embowered 
with  oaks,  vines,  roses  and  palms,  the  stage 
is  taken  for  Mount  Hamilton,  upon  the  peak 
of  which  is  located  the  Lick  Observatory, 
enclosing  the  great  Lick  telescope.  The 
road  cost  $80,000  to  make;  and  though  the 
ascent,  which  is  begun  fifteen  miles  from 
San  Jose,  is  great,  yet  so  admirably  con 
structed  is  the  way  that  two  horses  easily 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


THE  GRIZZLY  GIANT,   MARIPOSA  GROVE   OF   BIG  TREES. 


A  CACTUS  GARDEN  OF  SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA. 


AN  OLD  MISSION   HOUSE,   IN  CALIFORNIA. 


164 

drag  the  stage  to  the  summit. 
I  never  had  a  more  delightful 
ride  than  this  trip  afforded,  for 
while  the  air  was  bracing,  the 
view  was  at  all  times  indescriba- 
bly  picturesque.  At  places 
where  sharp  turns  are  made, 
passengers  can  look  out  of  the 
coach  windows  down  into 
abysses  which  seem  to  be  bot 
tomless,  and  which  never  fail 
to  elicit  the  question:  "If  a 
wheel  should  run  off  the  edge, 
where  would  the  passengers 
land?" 

The  altitude  of  the  observa 
tory  is  4,250  feet  above  the 
valley,  and  from  this  lofty  point, 
it  is  claimed,  with  an  appear 
ance  of  truth,  that  a  greater  area 
is  visible  than  from  any  other 
in  the  world.  Not  only  is  the 
whole  of  Santa  Clara  Valley 
viewable,  but  on  very  clear 
days  the  highest  peaks  of  the 
Yosemite  are  discernible,  and 
even  Mount  Shasta,  200  miles 
distant,  can  be  distinguished. 
The  telescope  is  a  36-inch  re 
flector,  the  largest  ever  made ,  and 
so  massive  that  it  is  controlled 
by  hydraulic  power,  which  is 
most  ingeniously  applied,  the 
adjustment  being  so  perfect  that 
its  many  tons  of  weight  can  be 
moved  by  a  single  finger.  The 
public  have  free  access  to  the 
observatory',  but  unfortunately, 
and  very  unwisely,  visitors  are 
not  permitted  to  use  the 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


BRIDAL   VEIL  FALL,   YOSEMITE. 


LICK  OBSERVATORY,  ON  THE  SUMMIT  OF  MOUNT  HAMILTON,  CALIFORNIA. 


i66 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


telescope  except  on  Saturday  nights.  As  favorable  evenings  are  com 
paratively  few,  this  rule  prevents  a  very  great  majority  of  persons  from 
realizing  what  they  have  traveled  thousands  of  miles  to  see,  and  much 
complaint  against  the  astronomers  in  charge  is  accordingly  made. 

From  San  Jose  to  San  Francisco  the  distance  is  about  fifty  miles, 
through  forests  of  redwood,  past  charming  villas  skirting  San  Francisco 
Bay,  and  many  beauties  peculiar  to  this  perpetual  summer  land.  The 
city  is  one  of  exceedingly  great  interest,  possessing  as  it  does  features  of 
a  unique  as  well  as  of  a  magnificent  character.  Some  of  its  best  streets 
are  reclamations  from  the  bay,  where,  in  1849,  the  largest  ships  rode  at 
anchor;  and  what  were  once  bare  mountains  of  sand  were  made  accessible 
by  the  adoption  of  a  cable  system  of  street  railroads,  and  on  these  peaks 
are  now  several  of  the  finest  residences  in  America. 

The  Palace  Hotel  is  the  largest  in  the  world,  nine  stories  high, 
occupying  275  by  350  feet  of  ground,  and  cost,  with  furnishings,  the 
enormous  sum  of  $7,000,000.  The  public  buildings,  and  many  of  .the 
business  blocks  as  well,  attest  the  great  wealth  of  the  place,  which  flowed 
in  with  the  gold  discoveries.  Lone  Mountain,  distinguished  by  a  large 
woode"n  cross  on  its  summit,  affords  a  view  which  embraces  not  only  the 
entire  city  and  bay,  but  likewise  of  the  ocean,  Mount  Diabolo  and  the 
long  Coast  Range  that  shimmers  in  the  sun  like  polished  metal. 

But  the  most  delightful  point  of  interest  is  the  Cliff  House,  near 
the  entrance  to  the  Golden  Gate,  reached  by  a  beautiful  drive  through 
Golden  Gate  Park,  and  also  by  cable  and  steam  cars.  The  prospect  from 
the  hotel  piazza,  reaching  far  above  and  over  the  ocean,  is  both  grand 
and  charming.  Immediately  in  front,  and  only  three  or  four  hundred 
yards  away,  three  rocks  rise  out  of  the  sea  to  a  height  of  one  hundred 
feet,  and  on  these  hundreds  of  sea-lions  gather  of  sunny  days  to  bask 
and  display  themselves  before  amused  spectators.  At  times,  their  bark 
ing  is  almost  distracting,  especially  when  some  ugly-dispositioned  pater 
familias  of  the  great  herd  sets  about  clearing  the  rocks,  when  there 
follows  a  noise  like  ten  thousand  big  dogs  in  conflict,  and  a  scrambling, 
sprawling  and  tumbling  that  is  wonderful  as  well  as  amusing. 

San  Francisco  is  a  center  from  which  many  interesting  itineraries 
may  be  conveniently  made,  several  of  which  we  performed,  with  the 
particular  view  of  photographing  the  most  attractive  features.  Chief  of 
these  excursions  is  to  the  Yosemite  Valley,  which  is  267  miles  from  San 
Francisco,  the  last  sixty-seven  miles'  being  journeyed  by  stage.  Leaving 
that  city  at  4  p.  M.,  we  reached  Raymond  at  6  A.  M.  the  following  day, 
at  which  point  the  stage  is  taken  to  Wawona,  which  is  only  six  miles 


EL  CAPITAN,  3,300  FEET   HIGH,   YOSEMITE. 


GARDEN  OF   PALMS  AT   INDIO,   NEAR  SAN   DIEGO,  CALIFORNIA. 


1 68 

from  the  Mariposa  Grove  of  Big  Trees.  These 
giants  of  the  primeval  forest  are  in  a  Govern 
ment  reservation  two  miles  square,  and  compose 
two  distinct  groves  some  half  a  mile  apart.  In 
the  upper  grove  there  are  365 — one  for  each 
day  in  the  year — trees,  154  of  which  exceed 
fifteen  feet  in  diameter,  and  several  are  more 
than  300  feet  in  height.  The  largest,  known 
as  the  Grizzly  Giant,  in  the  lower  grove,  is 
thirty-one  feet  in  diameter,  and  the  first  limb 
which  makes  out  from  the  trunk,  200  feet  above 
the  earth,  is  six  feet  in  diameter.  There  is  a 
prostrate  tree  in  this  grove  which  originally 
measured  forty  feet  in  diameter,  and  was  400 
feet  in  height.  The  body  is  hollow,  and  is 
large  enough  to  admit  three  horsemen  abreast 
a  distance  of  seventy  feet. 

A  few  miles  beyond  Wawona  is  a  stage- 
station  called  Fresno,  which  is  within  the  limits 
of  another  grove  of  mammoth  trees,  the  largest 
of  which  is  thirty-two  feet  in  diameter  at  the 
butt,  and  there  are  probably  100  or  more  that 
measure  as  much  as  twenty  feet  through.  Just 
beyond  Fresno,  we  enter  the  far-famed  and 
truly  marvelous  region  of  the  Yosemite  (which, 
in  the  Indian  tongue,  signifies  a  "grizzly 
bear"),  that  great  heart  of  the  Sierras  which 
beats  in  mountain  and  breaks  in  waterfall.  This 
wondrous  valley,  running  along  the  western 
base  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  range,  is  a  compara 
tively  level  area,  but  it  lies  fully  4,000  feet 
above  sea  level,  and  is  nine  miles  long,  by  an 
average  of  one  mile  wide.  The  remarkable 
feature  of  this  valley,  aside  from  its  special 
curiosities  and  mammoth  configurations,  is  the 
fact  that  it  is  enclosed  by  granite  walls  of 
almost  unbroken  continuity,  which  present  per 
pendicular  faces  ranging  from  3,000  to  6,000 
feet  in  height.  The  valley  was  discovered 
May  (5,  1851,  by  the  Mariposa  battalion,  in 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


VERNAL   FALLS   AND  LADY  FRANKLIN   ROCK,  YOSEMITE. 


SEAL  ROCKS  AND  CLIFF  HOUSE  AT  THE  GOLDEN  GATE,  SAN  FRANCISCO. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


command  of  Major  James  D.  Savage, 
which  had  been  sent  against  the 
Yosemite  Indians,  to  punish  them 
for  outrages  perpetrated  against  the 
miners  ir  the  counties  of  Mariposa, 
Fresno,  Tuolumne  and  Inyo.  Up  to 
this  time  the  valley  was  known  to 
whites  only  through  Indian  tradi 
tions,  which  represented  the  region 
as  one  of  great  beauty,  but  the  abode 
of  witches  and  evil  spirits.  Upon 
the  discovery,  however,  it  was  found 
to  be  a  place  of  refuge  for  the 
Indians;  and  within  its  boundaries, 
therefore,  some  desperate  fighting 
took  place  between '  the  California 
rangers  and  the  Yosemite  Indian 
marauders,  in  which  there  were 
heavy  losses  on  both  sides,  and  many 
acts  of  shocking  cruelty. 

The  stage-road  leading  from 
Wawona  is  particularly  romantic  and 
delightfully  picturesque,  with  views 
of  mountains,  laughing  streams  and 
beflowered  valleys,  that  break  in 
pleasing  variety  upon  the  expectant 
vision  of  the  visitor,  and  give  inti 
mation  of  the  grander  glories  that 
lie  beyond.  After  crossing  Alder 
Creek,  a  beautiful  stream  that 
washes  a  pebbled  bed,  the  route 
mounts  Alder  Hill,  and  rises  rapidly 
until  from  its  apex  there  is  afforded 
an  amazing  sight,  which  never  fails 
to  throw  the  beholder  into  raptures. 
Northward,  like  a  thread  of  silver 
running  through  a  labyrinth  of 
mountains,  is  the  South  Fork,  while 
southward  the  same  stream  speeds 
away  to  join  the  Merced  River,  which 


GLACIER  POINT,  YOSEMITE. 


BIG  TREES  IN  THE  MARIPOSA  FOREST,  CALIFORNIA. 


172 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


dashes  through  a  stupendous  gorge  aflame  with 
colors.  Descending  Alder  Hill  on  the  east,  by 
way  of  a  tortuous  route,  we  at  last  reach  Merced 
Valley,  beautiful  as  a  poet's  inspiration,  and  cross 
ing  this  low-lying  strip  of  meadow  land,  climb 
another  hill,  where  wonder  compels  us  to  pause 
upon  its  crest.  Away  yonder  in  the  misty  west, 
where  the  horizon  drops  down  like  a  curtain  on 
the  world  to  hide  the  mysteries  behind,  are  the 
dim  outlines  of  the  Coast  Range,  nearly  200  miles 
distant.  But  more  bewildering  sights  are  near  at 
hand,  for  there  to  the  left  a  little  way  are  noisy 
cascades  playing  leap-frog  over  giant  stones;  Table 
Rock  is  close  by,  and  El  Capitan,  that  grizzled 
old  captain  of  the  Yosemite,  exposes  his  shoulder, 
which  seems  to  be  a  prop  for  the  clouds.  A  few 
miles  further  and  we  reach  Inspiration  Point, 
where  a  glorious  vision  of  Yosemite  Valley  and  its 
Titanic  walls  break  upon  tis  with  a  startling 
suddenness,  revealing  a  section  of  nature  that  is 
incomparably  grand  and  awesomely  magnificent. 
El  Capitan  forges  upward  3,300  feet;  the  Three 
Brothers  keep  him  company  to  a  yet  greater  alti 
tude,  while  in  the  background,  frowzled,  yet 
sublime,  loom  up  against  the  cerulean  sky  the 
gray  Cathedral  Rocks,  lying  within  the  deep 
shadows  of  Sentinel  Rock.  Look  around,  for  on 
every  side  appear  evidences  of  mightiness,  the 
awfulness  of  those  powers  which  sometimes  escape 
from  internal  reservoirs,  or  break  away  from  the 
fastnesses  where  they  were  born;  the  bursting  of 
lava  beds,  the  tearing  down  of  glacier,  the  down- 
sweeping  of  avalanche,  and  the  steady  flow  of 
gnawing  waters. 

A  trip  through  the  Yosemite  Valley  is  one 
of  profound  amazement,  a  succession  of  astounding 
surprises,  where  the  most  amazing  prodigies  of 
nature  stand  before  you  in  review.  Why,  throw 
a  glance  up  yonder,  so  far  that  though  the  atmos 
phere  is  wondrously  clear,  yet  the  trees  on  the 


VERNAL  FALLS,   YOSEMITE. 


MIRROR  LAKE,  REFLECTING  EL  CAPITAN,  IN  YOSEMITE  PARK, CALIFORNIA. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


crest  are  not  distinguishable,  only  a  white  ribbon 
that  appears  to  have  been  flung  down  over  the 
narrow  edge  of  that  appalling  summit  to  attract 
attention.  What  we  see  is  the  first  leap  of 
Yosemite  Falls,  dashing  through  a  notch  that  is 
nearly  half  a  mile  wide,  and  which  has  a  fall  from 
three  ledges  of  2,548  feet,  or  sixteen  times  greater 
than  that  of  Niagara.  There,  not  far  away,  is 
Glacier  Point,  which  is  3,000  feet  high,  and  from 
which  a  view  of  the  entire  valley  can  be  had. 
Standing  on  that  pinnacle,  we  gather  in  a  glorious 
panorama  of  extraordinary  splendor.  The  great 
domes  of  the  Yosemite  are  plainly  discernible;  so 
is  Liberty  Cap,  Clouds'  Rest,  Vernal  Falls,  Nevada 
Falls,  placid  lakes,  and  the  swift-rolling  Merced 
River,  that  collects  and  bears  away  the  waters  that 
plunge  down  from  a  dozen  dizzy  heights. 

But  besides  these,  as  we  turn  to  sweep  the 
other  points,  we  catch  views  no  less  grand,  of 
Ribbon  Fall,  with  its  leap  of  3,350  feet,  Indian 
Canon,  Royal  Arches,  Bridal  Veil  Fall,  Washing 
ton's  Tower,  Columbia  Rock,  and  pearl-gray 
granite  walls  that  rise  in  places  to  a  vertical  height 
of  6,000  feet.  More  beautiful,  in  some  respects, 
than  any  of  these,  as  many  believe,  are  Mirror 
Lake,  which  seems  to  reflect  nearly  the  whole 
valley,  and  Cascade  Falls,  which  are  indescribably 
lovely*  The  meadows  draw  our  admiration  like 
wise,  for  they  are  so  covered  with  flowers  as  to 
appear  like  a  carpet  of  the  most  gorgeous  patterns, 
done  in  the  liveliest  combination  of  brilliant  colors. 
Other  points  of  great  interest  are  the  Giant's 
Thumb,  Eagle  Peak,  Valley  Ford,  the  Gnome  of 
the  Yosemite,  Mount  Watkins,  4,000  feet  high, 
and  Tis-sa-ack  (Half  Dome),  5,000  feet  in  height, 
which  was  regarded  by  the  Indians  as  the  Guardian 
Angel  of  the  valley,  for  upon  the  south  side  of  it 
are  the  distinct  outlines  of  a  human  face,  declared 
in  a  legend  to  be  those  of  Tu-tock-ah-nu-lah, 
ancient  father  of  the  Yosemites.  And  there  are 


ILLILLOUETTE   FALLS  AND  SOUTH   DOME. 


UPPER  CASCADE  OF  BRIDAL  VEIL  FALLS  IN  WINTER. 


^r 


*,.-. 


SENTINEL   ROCK.  WRAPPED  IN   A  CLOUD. 


[76 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


the  Three  Brothers,  called  by  the  Indians  Pom- 
pom-pa-sa,  which  signifies  "three  mountains  playing 
leap-frog,"  a  name  no  doubt  bestowed  because  of  the 
popularity  of  that  game  with  the  original  natives, 
and  also  because  the  mountains,  from  a  distance, 
bear  a  strong  resemblance  to  three  giant  frogs  sitting 
side  by  side,  upon  the  point  of  leaping  into  the 
valley,  nearly  4,000  feet  below. 

There  are  several  great  falls  in  this  wonderful 
reservation,  which,  in  point  of  beauty,  exceed  those 
in  any  other  part  of  the  world.  Yosemite  Falls  is 
incomparably  the  greatest  in  height,  and  in  the 
months  of  May,  June  and  July,  the  volume  of  water 
which  it  pours  down  is  second  only  to  Niagara  and 
Shoshone.  Its  first  vertical  leap  is  1,500  feet,  where 
it  strikes  a  series  of  ledges  which  break  the  water 
into  cascades  for  another  fall  of  626  feet,  after  which 
it  takes  a  sheer  plunge  of  400  feet,  and  flows  away 
into  the  Merced,  making  a  roaring  noise  in  its 
impetuous* descent  that  can  be  heard  for  miles. 

Bridal  Veil  Fall  is  the  termination  of  a  creek 
bearing  the  same  name,  where  it  plunges  over  a 
precipice  900  feet  high,  and  the  stream  is  so  thin 
that  it  becomes  a  very  mist  before  reaching  the 
valley.  Directly  opposite  is  Virgin  Tears  Creek, 
which  likewise  dashes  over  a  lofty  ledge  through  a 
notch  in  El  Capitan,  1,000  feet  high,  and  falls  in  a 
spray,  though  during  a  greater  part  of  the  year  the 
creek  is  nearly  dry. 

The  first  fall  reached  in  ascending  the  canon 
of  the  Merced  is  Vernal  Fall,  which  has  a  vertical 
height  of  400  feet  and  a  very  considerable  volume. 
But  as  we  proceed  further  up  the  canon,  passing  a 
number  of  cascades,  the  eye  suddenly  catches  what 
the  ear  has  anticipated,  and  rapture  succeeds  expecta 
tion,  for  there  bursts  into  view  Nevada  Falls,  which, 
as  Professor  Whitney  says,  "is  in  every  respect  one 
of  the  grandest  waterfalls  in  the  world,  whether  we 
consider  its  vertical  height,  the  purity  and  volume 
of  the  river  which  forms  it,  or  the  stupendous  scenery 


THE   TURN,   IN  CHILNUALNU  FALLS,   YOSEMITE. 


THE  YOSEMITE  VALLEY,  AS  SEEN  FROM  ARTIST'S  POINT. 


I  yo 

"by  which  it  is  environed.  The  fall  is  not  quite  perpendicular,  as  there  is  near  the  summit  a  ledge  of  rock  which  receives  a  portion  of  the 
water  and  throws  it  off  with  a  peculiar  twist,  adding  considerably  to  the  general  picturesque  effect." 

The  fall  is  about  600  feet,  the  stream  being  clearly  defined  throughout  its  descent,  and  the  volume  of  water  is  very  great,  giving  to 
the  falls  the  very  ideal  of  beauty,  power  and  truly  extraordinary  grandeur.  In  the  Canon  of  the  South  Fork,  there  is  another  fall  of  equal 
height,  and  it  is  one,  too,  of  much  attractiveness,  but  brought  into  comparison  with  that  of  Nevada,  of  which  it  is  a  close  brother,  though 
difficult  to  reach,  it  appears  so 
inconsequential  as  to  scarcely 
deserve  a  name,  though  it  is 
occasionally  known  as  Illillo- 
uette  Falls. 

But  everywhere,  up  and 
down  that  magic  valley, 
whether  viewed  from  the  gorges 
that  have  their  bottoms  in  dark 
and  mystic  abysses,  or  from 
amazing  heights  of  walls  thrust 
far  into  the  skies,  there  is 
wonder  piled  upon  wonder, 
grandeur  overtopping  rapture, 
dumfounded  admiration  riding 
at  furious  pace  in  the  lead  of 
inspiration,  glorious  realization 
gilding  the  visions  of  imagina 
tion.  As  the  gifted  Benjamin 
F.  Taylor  wrote  of  his  visit  to 
this  wonderland:  "Yosemite 
awaited  us  without  warning. 
Spectral  white  in  the  glancing 
of  the  sun,  the  first  thought  was 
that  the  granite  ledges  of  all 
the  mountains  had  come  to  res 
urrection,  and  were  standing 
pale  and  dumb  before  the  Lord. 
I  turned  to  it  again,  and  began 
to  see  the  towers,  the  domes, 
the  spires,  the  battlements,  the 

.arches  and  the  white  clouds  of  solid  granite,  surging  up  into  the  air  and  come  to  everlasting  anchor  until  the  mountains  shall  be  moved! 
You  hasten  on;  you  hear  the  winds  intoning  in  the  choral  galleries  a  mile  above  your  head;  you  hear  the  crash  of  waters  as  of  cataracts  in 
±he  sky;  you  trample  upon  broad  shadows  that  have  fallen  thousands  of  feet  down,  like  the  cast-off  garments  of  descending  night." 

Instead  of  returning  direct  to  San  Francisco,  by  way  of  the  route  we  had  taken  to  the  Yosemite   we  went  northward,  over  a  very 


AN   INDIAN   BURIAL  ON  THE   PRAIRIE. 


HALF  DOME  AND  CLOUDS'  REST,  YOSEM1TE  VALLEY. 


i8o 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


good  road,  through  Tuolumne  and  into  Calaveras  county,  near  the  eastern  edge  of  which  is  the  very  celebrated  grove  of  giant  trees.     The 

grove  is  confined  within  a  valley  some  3,000  feet  long  by  800  feet  wide,  and  embraces  ninety-three  mammoth  trees,  some  of  which  are 

prostrate.     The  tallest  now  standing  is  325  feet  high,  and  measures  fifteen  feet  in  diameter.     There  are  others  which,  though  less  lofty, 

exceed  the  tallest  in  girth  measurement  by  as  much  as  twenty  feet  in  circumference,  while  the  thickness  of  the  bark  on  these  grizzly  giants 

is  as  much  as  eighteen  inches.     Five  -miles  southeast  of  the  Calaveras  forest  is  the  Stanislaus  Grove,  of  about  800  trees,  which  in  any 

other   country  than    California 

would  be  considered  as  veritable 

monsters  for  size;  but  they  do 

not  equal  the  better  specimens 

in  either  the  Calaveras  or  Mari- 

posa  Groves,  though    several 

have  a  height  of  250  feet,  and 

a  trunk   circumference    of 

thirty  feet. 

Having  inspected  and 
photographed  the  groves,  we 
proceeded  to.  Murphy's  Hotel, 
sixteen  miles  from  the  Calaveras 
Grove,  thence  twenty-five  miles 
by  stage  to  Valley  Springs,  a 
station  on  a  narrow-gauge  rail 
road  that  runs  to  Lodi,  where 
connection  is  made  for  San 
Francisco. 

It  was  not  possible,  with 
out  occupying  years  of  time, 
to  make  trips  over  all  the 
picturesque  rail-routes  of 
America,  and  the  transporta 
tion  of  our  material  in  a  photo 
graph  car,  which  was  in  almost 
constant  use,  made  it  necessary 
that  our  three  photographers 
travel  together,  except  when  it 
was  desirable  to  cover  in  quick 

time   short  detours   from  main  CAVE  ROCK'  LAKE  TAHOE' 

lines.  For  this  reason  the  overland  trip  from  Denver  was  made  by  way  of  the  southern  route,  without  dividing  our  party;  but  to  provide 
against  what  would  otherwise  have  been  a  serious  omission,  the  photographer  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad  was  brought  into  service  to 
supply  views  of  scenery  along  that  road  between  Ogdeii  and  San  Francisco,  over  which  the  writer  has  traveled  so  frequently  as  to  be 
thoroughly  familiar  with  all  the  points  of  interest.  It  was  this  route,  formerly  known  as  the  Central  Pacific,  joining  the  Union  Pacific  at 


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Ogclen,  that  constituted  the  first  all-rail  overland  road  from  Omaha  to  San  Francisco,  and  it  continues  to  hold  rank  as  the  most  picturesque, 
though  the  scenery  alternates  with  many  dreary  patches. 

After  leaving  Ogden,  the  Southern  Pacific  passes  in  a  half-circle  around  the  northern  shores  of  Salt  Lake,  and  then  darts  into  the 
Nevada,  or  Great  American  Desert,  a  vast  sea  of  alkali  rippled  with  dry  sage-brush;  a  furnace  in  summer  and  a  Siberian  tundra  in  winter. 
Nature  has  denied  to  this  wretched  region  any  compensation  of  flower,  stream,  bird,  or  even  curiosity.  It  is  the  very  nakedness  of  bleak  deso 
lation,  and  stretches  its  cursed 
length  through  a  distance  of  600 
miles.  The  Humboldt  River  has 
tried  to  force  a  way  through  this 
parched  waste;  but  however 
great  its  volume  of  water,  gath 
ered  from  the  mountains  in 
spring  freshets,  the  desert 
drinks  it  up  at  a  place  known  as 
the  Humboldt  Sink,  where  the 
thirst  of  the  sands  is  so  great 
that  the  river  is  arrested  and 
stands  still  in  a  shallow  lake, 
the  resort  of  myriads  of  water 
fowls. 

But  though  the  land  is  a 
wind-swept  waste  of  alkali, 
scorched,  denuded  and  cursed, 
yet  men  have  planted  their 
hopes  even  there,  and  are  wrest 
ling  with  the  harshest  and  most 
unpromising  disadvantages. 
Indian  camps  are  frequent,  and 
villages  are  occasional,  where  a 
few  brave  men,  inured  to  all 
difficulties,  scratch  the  parched 
earth  and  seek  a  precarious 
sustenance,  though  nearly  all 
are  traders,  furnishing  supplies 
to  miners  in  the  mountains 
miles  away. 


CASCADE   BRIDGE   AND  SNOW-SHEDS  ON   THE   SIERRAS. 


The  dreary,  lifeless  monotony  is  relieved,  however,  just  before  reaching  Humboldt  Lake,  by  the  bold  but  rugged  contour  of  sky- 
piercing  pinnacles,  which  rise  to  the  south  of  the  road  in  curious  forms  and  extraordinary  magnitude,  marking  the  line  of  Humboldt  River. 
These  interesting  formations  are  known  as  the  Humboldt  Palisades,  in  which  the  Devil's  Peak  is  conspicuous,  viewed  from  the  car  window. 
After  so  many  hours  passed  in  crossing  a  wretched  desert,  the  scenery  of  meandering  river  and  lofty  bluffs  is  extremely  invigorating,  and 


CATHEDRAL  ROCKS,  2500  FEET  HIGH,  IN  YOSEM1TE  PARK,  CALIFORNIA. 


1 84 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


preparation  to  enjoy  the  sight  is  complete.  But  the  palisades  are  singularly  beautiful,  viewed  under  any  conditions,  and  situated  near  the 
edge  of  an  alkali  wilderness,  as  they  are,  they  break  upon  the  vision  of  a  west-bound  passenger  with  a  delight  that  arouses  rapture. 

At  Wadsworth,  Trnckee  Valley  is  entered,  green  with  the  joy  of  exuberant  nature,  which  we  follow  until  Truckee  City,  a  gem  of 
the  Sierras,  is  gained,  and  realize  that  we  have  now  to  climb  over  the  second  ridge  of  the  continent,  the  ragged  ribs  that  flank  the  great 
water-shed  of  the  three  Americas.  Truckee  is  not  only  a  pretty  village,  nestling  on  the  snowy  bosom  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains,  but 
it  is  the  center  of  a  lake  region, 
wherein  abound  some  of  the 
most  remarkable  bodies  of  water 
to  be  found  on  the  globe.  Four 
teen  miles  towards  the  south  is 
California's  favorite  resort,  Lake 
Tahoe,  a  really  marvelous  sheet 
of  crystalline  water  that,  from 
the  mountain  peaks  which  en 
close  it,  looks  like  a  colossal 
beryl  that  through  some  disturb- 
ment  has  been  rolled  out  of  the 
sky  and  found  lodgment  in  the 
great  lap  of  the  Sierras.  The 
environs  of  the  lake  are  won- 
drously  grand,  and  the  air  a 
very  enchantment,  so  great  is 
its  exhilaration.  The  lake  is 
twenty-two  miles  long,  ten 
miles  wide,  and  1,700  feet  deep, 
while  the  surface  is  6,247  feet 
above  sea  level,  and  it  is,  as 
Mark  Twain  eloquently  de 
scribes  it,  "a  sea  in  the  clouds; 
a  sea  that  has  character,  and 
asserts  it  at  times  in  solemn 
calms,  and  again  in  savage 
storms;  a  sea  whose  royal  seclu 
sion  is  guarded  by  a  cordon  of 
sentinel  peaks  that  lift  their 
frosty  fronts  9,000  feet  above 

the  level  world;  a  sea  whose  every  aspect  is  impressive,  whose  belongings  are  beautiful,  whose  lonely  majesty  types  the  Deity."  Tahoe's 
waters  abound  with  trout  and  other  fish,  whose  bodies  flash  the  sunlight  from  a  depth  of  thirty  feet.  The  waters  are  so  cold  that  decomposition 
is  arrested  below  the  surface.  Many  persons  have  been  drowned  in  the  lake,  but  not  one  has  ever  been  recovered,  when  the  accident  occurred 
in  deep  water.  So  pellucid  are  its  waters  that  a  boat  gliding  along  the  surface  appears  to  be  passing  through  the  air,  and  from  the  prows 


HEATHER  LAKE  AND  MOUNTAIN  SCENERY  ABOUT  LAKE  TAHOE. 


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ICE   FORMATION   AT   FOOT  OF   BRIDAL   VEIL  FALLS. 


NEVADA   FALLS,  YOSEM1TE. 


1 88 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


of  swift-moving  crafts,  sheets  of  clearest  glass  seem  to  be  rolling  away.  Many  beautiful  cottages  are  built  along  the  shore,  the  summer 
homes  of  wealthy  Californians,  and  in  season  the  lake  is  animate  with  boats  and  the  beach  alive  with  pleasure  parties. 

A  little  way  west  of  Truckee,  and  three  miles  from  the  road,  is  Donner  Lake,  a  beautiful  body,  but  chiefly  famous  for  the  tragic 
history  which  is  connected  with  it.  The  story,  in  brief,  is  this:  In  the  winter  of  1846-47,  a  party  of  eighty-two  emigrants,  while  on  their 
way  to  California,  were  overtaken  by  a  snow-storm  while  encamped  on  the  shore  of  the  lake,  and  of  the  number  thirty-six  perished  of 
starvation.  A  ghastly  tale  of 
cannibalism  is  told  of  the  sur 
vivors,  and  the  whole  tragedy  is 
embalmed  in  Bret  Harte's 
novel  of  "Gabriel  Conroy." 
Besides  these  two  more  cele 
brated  bodies  of  water  near 
Truckee,  there  are  Pyramid, 
Angeline,  Silver,  and  Palisade 
lakes,  all  near  by,  and  are  more 
or  less  popular  resorts,  particu 
larly  with  fishing  parties. 

As  we  proceed  up  the 
Sierras  the  cold  increases,  xintil 
when  the  town  of  Summit  is 
reached  snow  lies  upon  the 
ground  throughout  the  year, 
and  it  is  perpetual  winter  there, 
7,000  feet  above  the  sea.  The 
route  is  for  many  miles  enclosed 
by  snow-sheds,  but  the  snow- 
plow  has  plenty  of  work  to  do 
in  keeping  the  intervals  clear. 
Formerly  this  work  was  per 
formed  by  three  or  four  engines 
pushing  a  big  machine,  some 
what  resembling  a  shovel-board 
plow,  through  the  heavy  banks 
of  snow,  but  it  is  now  more 
speedily  and  effectively  accom- 

plished  by  a  rotary  snow-plow,  DONNER  LAKE'  NEAR  TRUCKEE,  CALIFORNIA. 

as  shown  in  one  of  our  illustrations.  The  machine  is,  in  fact,  a  giant  auger,  which  is  nin  by  steam  supplied  by  the  engines  behind 
it,  and  being  set  in  motion,  rapidly  bores  its  way  through  the  drifts,  throwing  the  snow  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees,  and  with  a  force 
sufficient  to  deposit  it  fifty  feet  from  the  track. 

The  road  begins  to  descend  rapidly  after  leaving  Summit,  but  the  most  wonderful  scenery  in  all  California  is  passed  in  the  next  150 


AGASSIZ  COLUMN,  YOSEMITE. 


THE   PASSAGE-WAY   AROUND  CAPE   HORN. 


190 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


miles.  Dormer's  Peak  comes  into  view  as  the  first  suggestion  of  a  dreadfully  tumultuous  condition  of  nature,  wrought  by  the  great  glaciers 
that  in  the  early  centuries  came  grinding  their  way  over  the  mountains.  There  is  Emigrant  Gap,  through  which  the  first  gold-seekers 
found  their  way  into  the  Golden  Valley,  and  American  Canon,  along  the  dizzy  edge  of  which  the  train  runs  at  a  free  and  almost  reckless  pace. 
The  way  is  broken  with  quarreling  cascades,  fast-dashing  creeks  and  beautiful  blue  canons,  in  which  an  autumn  haze  perpetually  lingers. 
Giant's  Gap,  in  the  American  Canon,  is  a  vast  rent  in  an  opposing  mountain,  that  looks  like  it  might  have  been  torn  out  by  the  hand  of  the 
Thunder  God  to  make  a  way 
for  the  trolls.  Chasm  after 
chasm  comes  into  view  with 
grandeur  and  awfulness  as  a 
background  until  presently  the 
train  runs  out  on  a  ledge  that 
appears  to  passengers  inside  the 
coaches  to  have  no  more  sub 
stantial  support  than  a  bank  of 
clouds.  We  are  away  up  high 
on  the  breast  of  a  mountain  that 
shoots  upward  2,000  feet  per 
pendicularly,  and  looking  out  of 
the  car  windows  there  is  noth 
ing  but  clouds  bowling  along  011 
the  same  level,  and  below  for 
ests  of  pine,  stunted  by  distance, 
until  the  trees  are  no  bigger 
than  whisk-brooms,  and  Ameri 
can  River  is  a  white  thread  not 
too  large  to  run  through  the  eye 
of  a  darning-needle.  This  is 
Cape  Horn,  where  the  ledge  is 
so  precipitous  that  in  making 
the  road-bed  it  was  necessary 
to  lower  the  first  workmen  by 
means  of  ropes,  which  were 
held  fast  at  the  summit  while 
the  suspended  men  plied  their 
picks  and  crow-bars  until  a 
footing  was  made. 


SNOW  SHOVELERS  CUTTING   A   BLOCKADE  ON  THE   SIERRA   NEVADAS. 


After  leaving  Cape  Horn,  and  passing  many  relics  of  early  mining  days:  holes  in  the  ground,  decaying  sluice-boxes,  long  flumes, 
tumble-down  shanties,  and  a  few  hydraulic  works,  the  road  gains  the  Sacramento  Valley,  where  the  passengers  are  met  by  a  burst  of 
sunshine  that  makes  the  land  laugh  with  plenty,  and  fills  every  heart  with  gladness.  The  air  is  fragrant  with  the  almond  and  orange,  and 
where  husbandry  has  not  covered  the  broad-spreading  acres  with  grain  or  vineyards,  there  are  flowers  of  a  thousand  hues,  and  butterflies  of 


UPPER   YOSEMITE   FALLS   IN  WINTER. 


VIEW  OF  AMERICAN   RIVER  CANON,   IN   THE  SIERRAS, 


192 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


corresponding  colors.  The  early  emigrants  from  the  East,  who  sought  fortune  on  the  Pacific  slope  after  the  gold  discoveries  of  1848-49, 
found  a  paradise  in  the  fragrant  and  prolific  valley  of  the  Sacramento,  which,  beautiful  at  all  times,  was  to  them,  after  a  journey  of  almost 
unbearable  hardships  across  the  burning  sands  of  the  American  Desert,  a  region  of  incomparable  delight.  There  is,  indeed,  no  contrast  in 
all  nature  so  sudden  and  so  great  as  that  afforded  between  Nevada  and  California,  the  line  of  separation  being  the  Sierras.  Out  of  the  arid 
plains,  a  very  ocean  of  verdureless  desolation,  the  road  rises  rapidly  to  altitudes  of  perpetual  snow  and  into  forests  of  pine  that  cover  the 
sides  of  fearful  precipices,  the 
peaks  of  towering  mountains 
and  the  jaws  of  yawning 
chasms;  then  it  swoops  down 
again  into  a  land  of  perennial 
bloom,  the  antithesis  of  that  of 
the  eastern  desert,  where,  in 
stead  of  parching,  the  sun 
revivifies  and  forces  into  fruit 
age  orchards,  vineyards,  groves, 
gardens,  and  fields,  making  the 
land  one  of  teeming  plenty, 
and  joyful  with  song  of  bird, 
flash  of  stream,  gleam  of  golden 
grain,  and  resonant  with  the 
laughing  chorus  of  exuberant 
nature.  More  fortunes  have 
been  won  by  aid  of  the  hoe  and 
sickle  wielded  in  this  charming 
valley  than  were  ever  gained  by 
means  of  pick,  flume  and  rocker 
on  the  harsh  mountain  sides, 
where  the  gold-seekers  have 
toiled  so  hopefully  for  forty 
years,  and  in  a  great  majority 
of  cases  spent  their  strength 
without  reward. 

The  first  time  that  I  crossed 
the  Sierras  was  in  early  autumn, 
before  the  crisp  air  had  begun 
to  clip  the  leaves,  and  when 

Nevada  appeared  to  be  swept  with  a  stifling  atmosphere;  hot,  dusty  and  dreary  was  the  pale  sands,  and  the  gray  sage-brush  was  withered 
as  by  a  simoom's  breath;  I  wondered  why  tourists,  on  pleasure  bent,  should  make  such  a  journey.  Then  out  of  the  plain  of  dearth,  and  up 
the  mountains  we  sped;  suddenly,  as  it  were,  the  atmosphere  grew  chill,  flakes  of  snow  began  to  descend;  the  way  led  out  of  hot  summer 
into  severe  winter,  and  the  landscape  became  a  picture  of  tumult,  mighty,  wonderful  and  picturesque.  Then  we  rolled  down  the  Sierras 
into  a  land  of  indescribable  beauty,  into  a  garden  as  lovely  as  that  of  Hesperides — and  the  answer  was  plain. 


A   ROTARY  SNOW-PLOW  CUTTING  THROUGH   A   BLOCKADE   ON  THE  SIERRAS. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

OUR  JOURNEY  THROUGH  PICTURESQUE  REGIONS  OF  THE  NORTHWEST. 

INTER  had  been  spent  in  the  vernal  climate  of  New  Mexico,  Arizona  and  California,  and  we  had  so  nicely  calculated  our  work 
that  when  April  arrived  we  were  ready  for  explorations  in  northern  fields.  Accordingly,  early  in  that  month,  we  took  our 
departure  from  San  Francisco,  over  the  California  and  Oregon  Railroad  (property  of  the  Southern  Pacific),  to  photograph  the 
natural  wonders  of  the  extreme  northwest.  The  road  which  we  had  thus  selected  is  one  of  the  most  charmingly  picturesque  in 
America,  abounding  as  it  does  with  an  infinite  variety  of  beautiful  valleys,  leaping  cascades,  roaring  waterfalls,  snow-capped 

mountains,  and  abyssmal  canons 
that  are  wrapped  in  eternal 
darkness. 

After  leaving  Sacramento, 
the  route  follows  the  Sacra 
mento  Valley,  through  a  mar- 
velously  fertile  district,  cleft 
by  an  exquisite  stream  that 
bellows,  gushes,  gurgles  and 
rambles  in  a  devious  way  from 
summerless  peaks,  through 
blossoming  vales,  and  down 
mellow  meadows,  until  it  drops 
into  the  arms  of  the  sea. 

Beyond  Chico,  northward, 
the  scenery  becomes  rapidly 
more  rugged,  until  we  plunge 
into  the  Siskiyou  range,  and 
apparently  become  tangled  up, 
so  tortuous  is  the  way.  Time 
and  again  the  road  overlaps 
itself  in  winding  up  the  steeps, 
leaps  across  yawning  chasms 
on  lofty  steel  bridges,  and 
dashes  into  tunnels  that  for  a 
while  appear  to  lead  directly  to 
the  center  of  the  under-world. 
But  on  every  side,  where  day 
light  reveals  the  turbulent  land 
scape,  there  is  much  to  excite 
193 


HIGH  SIERRAS  AND  SUSIE   LAKE,   AN   ARM  OF  LAKE   TAHOE. 


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196 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


wonder  and  to  lend  surprise.  A  hundred  miles  before  we  come  abreast  of  Mount  Shasta,  the  sunlighted  head  of  that  mammoth  peak  glints 
and  glistens  with  a  weirdly  grand  effect  upon  the  admiring  eyes  of  approaching  travelers.  There  it  stands,  apparently  shifting  from  one 
side  of  the  track  to  the  other  as  we  wind  around  among  the  gorges  and  creep  up  the  slopes,  but  always  a  chief  among  mountains  and 
commander  among  the  clouds.  Sissons  is  the  nearest  station  to  the  giant  peak,  and  here  we  stopped  to  make  some  photographs  and  gather 
information.  The  base  of  Shasta  is  exceedingly  broad,  covering  as  it  does  a  circumference  of  seventy-five  miles,  and  its  hoary  head  is  lifted 
up  11,000  feet  above  the  sur 
face,  and  14,450  above  the  sea. 
The  greatest  wonder,  however, 
is  not  in  the  mountain's  height 
or  size,  but  in  the  fact  that  it  is 
an  extinct  volcano,  whose  crater 
is  nearly  one  mile  in  diameter 
and  1,500  feet  deep.  On  one 
side  there  is  a  rift,  resembling  a 
broken  piece  from  the  rim  of  a 
bowl,  through  which  the  sea  of 
lava  that  boiled  and  seethed  in 
this  devil's  caldron  many  cen 
turies  ago,  evidently  broke  and 
poured  a  burning  flood  into  the 
valley,  and  overflowed  a  large 
district  of  country.  This  may 
have  been  done  in  one  of  its  ex 
piring  throes,  for  certainly  there 
are  no  evidences  that  the  vol 
cano  has  been  in  activity  within 
the  past  five  hundred  years. 

"There  is  a  cold  gray 
light  upon  this  mountain  in 
winter  mornings,  that  even  to 
look  upon,  sends  a  chill  to  the 
very  marrow,  especially  if  the 
snow-banner  be  flying;  yet,  per 
haps  at  evening  tide,  when 
twilight  shadows  have  darkened 
the  valley  below,  this  vast 

pyramid  of  hoar  frost  and  storm-swept  ridges  is  transformed  into  a  great  beacon  light  of  glory,  where  the  warm  mellow  light  loves  to  linger; 
where  the  richest  halos  of  gold  and  crimson  encircle  it  with  their  loving  bands;  where  the  last  and  best  treasures  of  the  declining  sun  are 
poured  out  in  a  wondrous  profusion,  until  it  is  driven  by  the  night  lavenders  and  grays  beyond  the  horizon;  then,  the  tranquil  light  of  the 
stars  sends  shining  avenues  of  silver  down  its  furrowed,  hoary  slopes;  soon  there  comes  out  from  behind  the  night,  first  a  faint  flash  of  radiant 


INTERIOR  OF  SNOW  SHED,  SIERRA  NEVADA  MOUNTAINS. 


VIEW  OF  MT.  SHASTA  FROM  S1SSONS,  CALIFORNIA. 


198 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


silver  that  gleams  across  the  sky  and  dims  the  light  of  the  stars,  the  higher  peaks  are  aflame  with  St.  Elmo  fire,  and  slowly  from  spire  to 
spire,  and  from  ridge  to  ridge,  this  incandescent  flood  sweeps  on  until  the  whole  mountain  glows  and  gleams  with  a  light  supernatural." 

Another  particularly  wonderful  natural  attraction  on  the  line  of  this  road  are  the  Chalybeate  Soda  Springs,  which  furnish  an 
unfailing  supply  of  mineral  water,  equal  to  the  best  that  is  bottled  for  the  bar  and  picnic  trade.  When  taken  fresh  from  the  spring,  it  has 
the  appearance  of  champagne,  which,  indeed,  it  resembles  in  taste;  and  so  strongly  charged  is  the  water  with  carbonic  acid  gas,  that  it  will 
hold  its  flavor  as  long  as  any 
extra-dry  wine. 

Near  these  remarkable 
springs  are  the  Mossbrae  Falls, 
which  come  sliding  over  the 
lofty  banks  of  the  Sacramento 
in  sheets  of  limpid  water  that 
look  like  glass,  and  have  a 
spread  of  nearly  half  a  mile. 
The  fall  varies  in  height  from 
fifty  to  one  hundred  feet,  but 
is  surprisingly  beautiful  at 
every  point. 

After  crossing  Siskiyou 
Mountains,  the  road  descends 
by  a  spiral  way  until  it  strikes 
Rogue  Valley,  thence  through 
Grant's  Pass  and  gains  the 
Willamette  Valley,  which  is  a 
level  expanse  of  exceedingly 
great  fertility.  The  ride  to 
Portland  over  the  rest  of  the 
way  is  interesting,  not  so  much 
for  the  diversity  of  scenery,  as 
for  the  scenes  of  thrift  and  pros 
perity  which  lie  on  both  sides, 
for  the  country  is  a  very  Eden 
of  productiveness. 

Portland,  which  lies  near 

the   junction   of   the  Columbia 

.  ,-V .       „..„  .  SACRAMENTO  CANON,  CALIFORNIA, 

with  the  Willamette  River,  is 

one  of  the  handsomest  cities  on  earth,  situated  in  one  of  the  most  attractive  regions  that  the  eye  of  the  traveler  ever  gazed  upon.  From  a 
high  point  in  the  western  suburbs,  gained  by  a  cable-road,  a  view  may  be  had  greater  than  that  which  Quarantaria  offers.  To  the  west 
broadens  the  united  waters  of  the  two  rivers,  floating  the  commerce  of  this  vigorous  city  to  and  from  the  sea.  And  in  the  clear  atmosphere 
to  the  east  rise  like  giants  out  of  a  plain  the  lefty  peaks  of  Hood,  St.  Helen's,  Adam's  and  Ranier,  upon  whose  brows  eternal  snows  beat 


MOSSBRAE   FALLS,   ALONG  THE  SACRAMENTO. 


2OO 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


with  fury,  and  where  clouds  often  settle  to  rest  themselves  for  a  fresh  flight.  Still  beyond  are  the  whitened  crests  of  the  Cascade  range, 
reveling  in  a  mad  confusion  of  effort  to  gain  the  skies;  and  wandering  through  a  maze  of  forest,  mountain  and  gorge,  are  the  Columbia  and 
Willamette,  like  two  long  ribbons  of  burnished  silver  flung  down  by  the  gods  to  mark  a  way  to  wealth. 

The  Willamette  River  is  particularly  beautiful  in  its  upper  course,  where  the  scenery  is  almost  a  counterpart  of  that  along  the 
Rhine,  whereas  the  Columbia  becomes  charmingly  interesting  almost  from  its  mouth,  and  increases  in  grandeur  as  the  ascent  is  made. 
Indeed,  it  may  with  truth  be 
declared  that  scenically  consid 
ered,  the  Columbia  is  the  most 
delightful  river  that  is  known 
to  modern  geographers.  The 
shores  are  mountainous,  at  times 
shooting  up  perpendicularly  to 
amazing  heights,  and  compos 
ing  miles  of  solid  walls;  then 
again  dropping  away  in  level 
stretches  covered  with  forests 
of  pine,  spruce  and  fir-trees;  or 
revealing  canons  down  which 
plunge  turbulent  tributaries, 
and  giddy  waterfalls  dancing 
out  of  the  sky  and  falling  in 
fleecy  sheets  so  far  as  to  dis 
solve  its  vapor.  Some  of  the 
shore  walls  are  of  basalt,  of  fan 
tastic  shapes  and  brilliant  with 
coloring;  and  not  infrequently 
solitary  columns  of  very  great 
height  are  seen  standing  like 
sentinels  along  the  water  edge, 
such  as  Castle  Rock,  Rooster 
Rock,  and  the  columnar  cliffs 
of  Cape  Horn. 

The  Dalles  of  the  Colum 
bia  are  as  famous  as  the  pali 
sades  of  the  Hudson ,  while  in  fact 

they  are  much  more  wonderful,  SODA  SPRINGS'  SACRAMENTO  CANON. 

and  well  worth  a  trip  of  thousands  of  miles  to  see.  They  occupy  about  fifteen  miles  of  the  river  between  Celilo  and  Dalles  Station,  and 
are  only  130  feet  wide,  whereas  above  and  below,  the  bed  of  the  stream  is  from  2,000  to  2,500  feet  wide.  As  the  river  is  swollen  to 
extraordinary  proportions  by  rain  freshets  and  the  melting  of  snow  in  the  spring-time,  it  is  not  a  remarkable  thing  that  during  such  flood 
periods  the  water  rises  suddenly  in  this  narrow  cleft  as  much  as  sixty,  and  even  seventy  feet.  The  river  itself  very  commonly  rises  as  much 


STRAWNAHAN'S  FALLS,  ON  SIDE  OF  MOUNT  HOOD. 


MULTINOMAH  FALLS,  OREGON. 


202 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


as  twenty-five  feet,  even  at  its  widest  places,  and  hence  we  may  imagine  what  a  raging  torrent  it  becomes;  but  at  low- water  the  Dalles  are 
a  succession  of  cascades  of  the  most  beautiful  proportions,  rolling  in  sheets  of  clearest  water,  over  terraces  of  stone  as  regular  as  though  they 
had  been  laid  by  the  hand  of  a  mason. 

From  the  Dalles  down,  the  river  plows  its  way  through  the  Cascade  Mountains,  which  on  either  side  appear  like  towered  battle 
ments,  while  waterfall  after  waterfall  pour  their  tribute  down  the  mountain  sides  to  swell  the  on-flowing  stream.  Twelve  miles  below  is 
Memaloose  Island,  which  is  the  ancient  burial  place  of  the  Chinook  Indians,  who  held  it  as  a  sacred  spot,  guarded,  as  they  maintained,  by 
spirits  of  the  river.  The  gorge  proper  begins  twenty  miles  below  the  Dalles,  and  thirty  miles  further  are  the  cascades,  but  between  these 
there  is  an  incomparable  pano 
rama  of  grandeur  and  beauty, 
for  the  river  is  broken  by  many 
giant  bowlders,  around  which 
the  swift-rushing  water  is  lashed 
into  fury.  Still  further  below, 
and  around  the  next  interval  of 
six  miles,  where  portage  by  rail 
is  necessary,  the  scenery 
becomes  even  more  exquisite, 
with  islands  that  are  so  wind 
swept  as  to  be  entirely  devoid 
of  vegetation,  while  scores  of 
lovely  falls  line  the  river,  such 
as  Horse-Tail,  a  clearly  defined 
stream  that  pours  down  a  height 
of  200  feet,  and  Multinomah,  a 
strip,  or  veil,  of  spray,  that  falls 
850  feet  perpendicularly.  There 
are,  besides  these,  others  almost 
equally  surprising  and  beauti 
ful,  such  as  Bridal  Veil  and 
Oneonta,  both  of  which  dash 
down  over  cliffs  brilliantly 


green   with   mosses,   and   are 


WILLAMETTE   FALLS,  OREGON. 


reflected  in  their  full  length  in 

the  crystalline  river  into  which  they  fall,  while  the  soft  coloring  of  bluest  sky  and  blending  tints  of  emerald  pines  give  to  the  scene  an 
intimation  of  fairy-land.  Just  below  these,  in  stately  procession,  are  Castle  Rock,  that  shoots  up  1,000  feet;  Rooster  Rock,  a  dizzy  pinnacle 
of  stone  amid-stream;  Cape  Horn,  frowning  from  shore,  and  lifting  its  brow  500  feet  above  the  river,  while  the  Pillars  of  Hercules,  twin 
shafts  of  basalt,  grand,  massive  and  sublime,  act  as  guardians  before  this  watery  realm  of  wonderland. 

Twenty-five  miles  from  the  palisades,  and  reached  by  means  of  comfortable  stages  over  a  good  road,  is  Mount  Hood,  one  of  the 
loftiest,  as  well  as  the  most  impressive,  dead  volcanoes  to  be  found  anywhere  in  the  world,  of  which  it  has  been  written:  "The  view  from 
the  summit  of  Hood  is  one  of  unsurpassed  grandeur,  and  probably  includes  in  its  range  a  greater  number  of  high  peaks  and  vast  mountain 


DELLS  OF  THE  COLUMBIA,  AND  MOUNT  HOOD  IN  THE  DISTANCE. 


2O4 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


chains,  grand  forests  and  mighty  rivers,  than  any  other  mountain  in  North  America.  Looking  across  the  Columbia,  the  ghostly  pyramids 
of  Adams  and  St.  Helen,  with  their  connecting  ridges  of  eternal  snow,  first  catch  the  eye;  then  comes  the  silent,  lofty  Ranier,  with  the 
blue  waters  of  Puget  Sound  and  the  rugged  Olympia  Mountains  for  a  background;  and  away  to  the  extreme  north  (nearly  to  H.  B.  M.'s 
dominions),  veiled  in  earth  mists  and  scarcely  discernible  from  the  towering  cumuli  that  inswathe  it,  lies  Mount  Baker.  Looking  south 
over  Oregon,  the 
view  embraces 
the  Three  Sis 
ters  (all  at  one 
time),  Jefferson, 
Diamond  Peak, 
Scott,  Pit,  and, 
if  it  be  a  favora 
ble  day,  and  you 
have  a  good 
glass,  you  may 
see  Shasta,  250 
miles  away.  The 
westward  view  is 
down  over  the 
lower  coast 
range,  the  Ump- 
qua,  Calapooya, 
and  Rogue  River 
Mountains,  with 
their  sunny  up 
land  valleys,  and 
away  out  over 
the  restless 
ocean.  In  the 
opposite  direc 
tion,  across  the 
illimitable  plains 
of  Eastern  Ore 
gon,  to  the  Azure 
Blue  Mountains; 


NATURAL   PILLARS,  COLUMBIA   RIVER. 


down,  almost  to 

the  foot   of  this 

mountain,  'rolls  the  Columbia,'  through  the  narrow,  nigged  gorge  of  'The  Dalles,'  250  miles  of  its  winding  course  being  visible.     The 

entire  length  of  the  great  Willamette  Valley,  with  its  pleasant,  prosperous  towns  and  gently-flowing  river,  its  broad,  fertile  farms,  like  rich 

mosaics,  with  borders  of  dark-green  woodlands,  is  spread  out  in  great  beauty  under  the  western  slope  of  Mount  Hood." 


Q 

C 

o 


PL. 

O 


UJ 
H 
< 

ce 
U 


206 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


The  Columbia  is  not  only  famed  for  its  peerless  scenery, 
and  as  being  a  main  artery  in  Pacific  coast  commerce,  but  it  is 
equally  noted  as  affording  the  most  profitable  salmon  fishing  in 
the  world.  Hundreds  of  people  are  engaged  in  this  industry, 
and  vast  wealth  has  been  amassed  by  some  of  the  large  com 
panies  who  run  immense  canneries  in  connection  with  the 
fisheries.  At  certain  seasons  the  fish  appear  in  such  prodigious 
numbers,  on  their  way  up  stream  to  the  spawning  grounds, 
that  they  almost  crowd  each  other  out  of  the  water.  The  most 
successful  way  of  taking  the  fish  at  such  times  is  by  the  use  of 
wheels  attached  to  the  end  of  a  scow,  which,  being  set  in 
motion,  scoop  them  up  and  deposit  them  in  the  boat,  and  so 
rapidly  that  thousands  are  thus  taken  in  an  hour.  The  fish 
continue  their  run  up-stream  as  far  as  the  water  will  allow,  and 
so  determined  are  they  that  they  perform  many  amazing  feats 
to  gain  the  headwaters,  crossing  shoals,  darting  through  the 
swiftest  cascades,  and  even  leaping  up  and  over  falls  of  consid 
erable  height.  The  Indians,  familiar  with  the  instincts  of  the 
salmon,  in  the  season  take  great  numbers  by  means  of  spears, 
which  they  cast  with  astonishing  accuracy.  A  chief  fishing 
place  is  Salmon  Falls,  where  the  river  is  a  mile  wide  and 
plunges  over  a  wall  fully  twenty  feet  high,  extending  from 
shore  to  shore.  Notwithstanding  this  height,  the  salmon 
gather  in  the  whirlpool  below  and  suddenly  dart  up  the  falls 
like  a  flash  of  light,  their  tails  waving  with  such  rapidity  that 
they  are  carried  up  and  over  the  tails.  It  is  while  making 
these  leaps  that  the  Indians  spear  the  fish,  killing  immense 
numbers,  not  only  for  food,  but  through  sheer  wantonness,  at 
times  fairly  filling  the  river  with  the  dead  beauties. 

A  SIDE-TRIP  TO  CRATER  LAKE. 

Before  leaving  San  Francisco,  one  of  our  photographers 
expressed  a  very  great  desire  to  visit  Crater  Lake,  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  bodies  of  water  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  and 
stt  urgent  were  his  pleadings,  that  it  was  decided  he  should 
m»ke  the  trip,  while  the  rest  of  the  party  continued  on  to 
Portland,  to  perform  the  work  of  photographing  points  of 
interest  thereabouts,  and  on  the  Columbia  River.  In  pursu 
ance  of  this  arrangement,  he  left  us  at  a  station  called  Medford, 
OH  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad,  and  from  that  place  rode 


ONEONTA  GORGE,  COLUMBIA  RIVER. 


208 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


over  to  Jacksonville,  capital  of  Jackson  county,  Oregon,  a  distance  of  five  miles,  to  make  his  preparations  for  a  journey  to  the  lake. 
Jacksonville  is  a  town  of  about  1,000  inhabitants,  off  the  railroad,  but  on  the  military  road  that  leads  to  Crater  Lake,  some  seventy  miles 
distant  northeast,  and  thence  to  Fort  Klamath.  It  was  not  difficult  to  procure  necessary  conveyance,  but  for  safety  it  was  deemed  advisable 
to  pack  the  cameras  on  a  donkey,  probably  the  surest-footed  and  most  reliable  animal  that  ever  submitted  back  to  a  burden.  Three  men 
accompanied  our  photographer,  with  one  road-wagon  and  a  light  buggy,  hauling  the  necessary  camping  outfit,  and  being  well  prepared, 
the  party  started  from  Jacksonville  on  the  15th  of  April,  1891.  The  road  follows  Rogue  River  the  entire  distance,  along  which  is  some 
very  beautiful  scenery,  and  not 
a  few  wild  gorges,  which  were 
photographed.  There  are  a 
number  of  post-offices  on  the 
way,  Deskins  being  the  most 
northern,  beyond  which,  and 
for  nearly  thirty  miles,  to  the 
lake,  there  is  a  wildernsss  of 
mountain  and  canon,  unrelieved 
by  any  signs  of  human  habita 
tion.  Crater  Lake  is  in  the 
western  part  of  Klamath 
county,  and  is  in  the  Klamath 
Indian  reservation,  a  region 
that  is  distinctively  volcanic, 
diversified  by  lakes,  marshes 
and  mountains,  with  the  soil  so 
mixed  with  scoriae  that  it  is 
harsh  and  unproductive.  It 
was  not  until  noon  of  the  sec 
ond  day  that  the  vicinity  of  the 
lake  was  reached,  approach  to 
it  being  indicated  by  a  bank  of 
clouds  that  hung  over  one  spot, 
like  a  fog  gradually  lifting, 
beneath  which  was  manifestly 
a  large  body  of  water.  A  suita 
ble  camping  place  was  soon 

found,  and  the  tent  being  set  up  and  dinner  disposed  of,  the  work  of  exploring  and  photographing  the  lake  was  energetically  begun. 
Fortunately,  the  weather  was  propitious  and  the  season  favorable,  for  otherwise  clambering  over  so  rough  a  region  with  the  precious  burden 
of  delicate  cameras  would  iave  been  next  to  impossible.  The  snow  falls  to  very  great  depths  on  the  high  ridge  which  surrounds  the  lake, 
and  spring  rains  are  at  times  so  heavy  here  that  the  precipitous  sides  are  gashed  deeply  by  the  cataracts  thus  produced. 

The  Klamath  Indians  have  many  traditions  about  the  lake,  one  of  which  is  to  the  effect  that  in  earlier  years  it  was  the  haunt  of 
great  numbers  of  water-devils,  who  watched  its  shores  and  drew  into  its  mysterious  depths  all  luckless  persons  who  ventured  near  its  banks. 


CASCADES  OF  THE  COLUMBIA. 


VIEW  OF  CRATER  LAKE  AND  WIZARD   ISLAND. 


2IO 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


For  this  reason  it  was  not  until  recently  that  any  Indian  could  be  prevailed  upon,  by  the  promise  of  however  great  a  reward,  to  approach 
near  the  lake,  though  they  were  glad  to  guide  travelers  to  its  vicinity. 

The  first  sight  of  this  marvelous  body  of  water  excites  unbounded  awe  and  immeasurable  wonder.  The  surface  is  (5,250  feet  above 
sea  level,  but  notwithstanding  this  great  elevation,  it  is  enclosed  by  cliffs  that  rise  from  1,000  to  2,000  feet,  and  the  greater  part  are 
vertical.  At  times,  viewed  from  the  summit  of  the  walls,  both  the  skies  and  mountainous  surroundings  are  mirrored  in  the  unrippled 
surface  of  the  lake,  until  it  is  really  difficult  to  distinguish  the  line  of  separation  between  the  real  and  the  reflection. 

Crater  Lake  is  egg-shaped,  being  seven  miles  in  length  by  six  in  breadth,  and  in  the  southwest  portion  there  is  an  island  which  rises 
out  of  the  water  to  the  amaz 
ing  height  of  850  feet.  But 
this  is  not  its  only  remarkable 
feature,  for  the  island  is  circu 
lar  in  shape,  with  a  scant 
vegetation  on  its  sides,  and  in 
the  center  is  a  crater  known  as 
the  Witch's  Caldron,  which  is 
100  feet  deep  and  nearly  500 
feet  in  circumference.  Here, 
then,  we  have  the  now  smoke 
less  chimney  of  what  was  once 
an  active  volcano,  out  of  which 
poured  a  fiery  mass  that  ran 
down  the  steeps  and  became 
congealed  in  the  lake,  for  the 
base  of  the  island  is  of  ashes 
and  vitrified  rocks,  evidencing 
the  intense  heat  which  once 
prevailed  within  and  around  it. 

On  the  shore,  north  of 
Wizard  Island,  is  a  rock  that 
juts  up  2,000  feet,  and  its  side 
is  so  perpendicular  that  one 
standing  upon  its  summit  can 
drop  a  stone  into  the  lake, 
nearly  half  a  mile  beneath.  It 

is  not  at  all  surprising  that  this  wonderful  lake  should  be  the  subject  of  much  superstitious  dread  among  the  Klamaths,  and  among  the 
traditions  and  tales  which  these  simple  Indians  tell  is  the  following:  A  long  time  ago,  a  band  of  Klamaths,  while  hunting  deer,  which 
have  always  been  abundant  in  this  region,  came  suddenly  upon  the  lake.  They  had  often  traveled  over  the  same  district,  without 
discovering  either  lake  or  depression,  and  now,  suddenly  beholding  so  large  a  body  of  water,  surrounded  by  towering  walls,  they  perceived 
in  it  the  work  of  the  Great  Spirit,  but  were  not  able  to  interpret  its  significance.  All  but  one  of  the  Indians  fled  in  terror  from  the  place, 
but  the  bravest  determined,  if  possible,  to  ascertain  the  wishes  of  the  Great  Spirit,  and,  accordingly,  he  proceeded  to  the  very  brink  of  the 


AMONG  THE  CLOUDS  ON  MOUNT  HOOD. 


LU 


a: 
U 

Q 
z 

O 


o> 

U. 

= 
13 
U 


212 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


lofty  walls,  and  there  built  a  camp-fire,  to  wait  the  Spirit's 
call.  Long  he  waited,  until  weary  at  last  he  lay  down  and 
slept;  while  he  was  thus  sleeping  he  had  a  vision  and  heard 
mysterious  voices,  but  he  was  not  able  to  understand  what 
was  said,  or  to  clearly  discern  the  shape  or  appearance  of 
his  unearthly  visitors.  But  as  often  as  he  slept  he  perceived? 
in  his  dreams,  the  indistinct  forms  of  what  half-appeared  to 
resemble  human  bodies,  and  plainly  heard  voices,  but  they 
were  strange  tongues.  Charmed  by  these  visions,  the  Indian 
remained,  day  after  day,  and  week  after  week,  upon  the  preci 
pice  of  the  lake,  leaving  his  camp-fire  only  to  slay  a  deer  for 
subsistence,  until  at  length  he  descended  to  the  surface  of  the 
lake  and  bathed  in  its  crystal  and  mysterious  waters.  Instantly 
he  felt  his  strength  marvelously  increased,  and  thereafter  saw 
that  the  weird  visions  of  his  dreams  were  inhabitants  of  the 
lake,  having  human  forms,  but  whether  they  were  spirits  of 
good,  or  devils  of  evil,  he  knew  not.  Familiarity,  however,  at 
length  made  him  careless,  and  on  one  occasion  he  caught  a  fish 
in  the  lake,  with  the  intention  of  using  its  flesh  for  food,  but 
no'  sooner  had  he  killed  the  fish  than  a  thousand  water-devils 

rose  up  out  of 
the  depths  of 
the  lake,  and, 
seizing  the  un 
fortunate  brave 
carried  him 
through  the  air 
to  the  top  of 
the  cliffs.  Here 
they  cut  his 
throat  and  cast 
his  body  head 
long  into  the 
water,  2,000 
feet  below, 
where  it  was  de 
voured  by  the 
angered  devils. 
The  Kla- 
GROTTO  IN  CRATER  LAKE.  math  Indians 


PALISADES  OF  THE  COLUMBIA. 


THE  GREAT  GLACIER,  CANADIAN   PACIFIC. 


214 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


believed  that  the  water-spirits  had  not  fully  satisfied  their  revenge  by  this  one  bloody  act,  but  would  similarly  destroy  any  Indian  who  had 
the  temerity  to  approach  the  lake. 

Near  the  base  of  a  cliff  on  the  south  side  of  the  lake  stands  a  solitary  rock,  probably  100  feet  high  by  200  in  length,  and  nearly  the 
same  in  breadth,  that,  while  not  seen  by  the  present  generation  of  Indians,  it  is  nevertheless  known  to  them,  and  is  a  special  object  of 
superstitious  dread. 
They  consider  it  as  a 
peculiarly  ferocious 
monster,  but  are  unable 
to  describe  its  character 
istics.  It  stands  in  the 
lake,  entirely  alone,  and 
about  fifty  yards  from 
shore.  Standing  on  the 
cliffs,  about  five  miles 
to  the  west  and  looking 
across  the  lake,  this 
strange  rock  is  plainly 
visible  in  the  sunlight, 
its  rugged  peaks  reach 
ing  aloft,  giving  it  the 
appearance  of  a  full- 
rigged  ship  at  anchor. 
Should  a  cloud  pass 
before  the  sun  as  the 
shadow  strikes  the  rock 
it  will  recede  from  view 
as  effectually  as  though 
it  had  ceased  to  exist. 
This  illusion  has 
prompted  some  one  to 
call  the  rock  the  Phan 
tom  Ship. 

Another  equally 
interesting  optical  illu 
sion  is  thus  described  by 
W.  G.  Steel  F.A.G  S  A  F'SH-WHEEL  ON  COLUMBIA  RIVER. 

who  made  an  exploration  of  the  lake  with  a  corps  of  United  States  surveyors:  "One  day  while  at  work  on  the  lake,  my  attention  was  called 
to  what  seemed  to  be  a  tall,  full-bearded  man  standing  on  the  southern  portion  of  Llao  Rock's  summit.  One  foot  was  placed  a  little  forward 
of  the  other  and  the  knee  slightly,  but  naturally  bent,  while  before  him  stood  a  gun.  His  hands  were  clasped  over  the  muzzle  as  he  gazed 
intently  to  the  north.  Just  behind  him  stood  a  boy,  apparently  about  fifteen  years  of  age.  They  seemed  entirely  too  natural  not  to  be  flesh 


GREEK  CHURCH   AT  JUNEAU,  ALASKA. 


2l6 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


and  blood,  and  yet  persons  at  that  distance  would  not  be  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  as  we  were  two  miles  out  on  the  lake.  Day  after  day,  as 
our  work  progressed,  their  position  remained  the  same,  and  in  the  absence  of  a  better  excuse,  we  decided  them  to  be  trees. 

"It  is  hard  to  comprehend  what  an  immense  affair  it  is.  To  those  living  in  New  York  City  I  would  say,  Crater  Lake  is  large 
enough  to  have  Manhattan,  Randell's,  Ward's  and  Blackwell's  Islands  dropped  into  it  side  by  side,  without  touching  the  walls,  or  Chicago 
or  Washington  City  might  do  the  same.  Our  own  fair  city  of  Portland,  with  all  her  suburbs,  from  City  Park  to  Mount  Tabor,  and  from 
Albina  to  Sellwood  inclusive,  could  find  ample  room  on  the  bottom  of  the  lake.  On  the  other  hand,  if  it  were  possible  to  place  the  lake, 
at  its  present  elevation,  above  either  of  these  cities,  it  would  be  over  a  mile  up  to  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  a  mile  and  three-quarters  to 
the  top  of  Llao  Rock.  Of  this  dis 
tance,  the  ascent  would  be  through 
water  for  2,000  feet.  To  those  living 
in  New  Hampshire,  it  might  be  said 
the  surface  of  the  water  is  twenty-three 
feet  higher  than  the  summit  of  Mount 
Washington." 

The  shore  of  Crater  Lake  has 
many  remarkable  indentations  of 
slender  arms  and  beautifully  formed 
bays,  and  on  one  side  there  is  a  grotto 
running  back  some  thirty  feet  and 
twenty  feet  inside,  spanned  by  a  grace 
ful  arch  about  eight  feet  high,  form 
ing  an  admirable  shelter  as  well  as  a 
curious  alcove  in  the  rock,  where  the 
water  is  some  twelve  feet  deep.  The 
lake  itself  measures  a  little  more  than 
2,000  feet  in  depth  in  places,  but 
soundings  show  that  there  are  peaks 
below  the  surface  representing  cinder 
cones,  and  which  once  evidently  stood 
high  above  the  surface.  The  whole 
lake  is  thus  a  reminder  of  mighty 
forces  and  the  relic  of  terrible  con- 

vulsions.     What  an  immense  affair  it  SUMMIT  OF  MOUNT  SAINT  HELENS>  ABOVE  THE  CLOUDS' 

must  have  been  ages  upon  ages  ago,  when,  long  before  the  hot  breath  of  a  volcano  soiled  its  hoary  head,  standing  as  a  proud  monarch, 
with  its  feet  upon  the  earth  and  its  head  in  the  heavens,  it  towered  far,  far  above  the  mountain  ranges,  aye,  looked  far  down  upon  the 
snowy  peaks  of  Hood  and  Shasta,  and  snuffed  the  air  beyond  the  reach  of  Everest.  Then  streams  of  fire  began  to  shoot  forth,  great  seas  of 
lava  were  hurled  upon  the  earth  beneath.  The  elements  seemed  bent  upon  establishing  hell  upon  earth  and  fixing  its  throne  upon  this 
great  mountain.  At  last  its  foundation  gave  away  and  it  sank  forever  from  sight.  Down,  down,  down  deep  into  the  bowels  of  the  earth, 
leaving  a  great,  black,  smoking  chasm,  which  succeeding  ages  filled  with  pure,  fresh  water,  giving  to  our  day  and  generation  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  lakes  within  the  knowledge  of  man. 


218 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


It  may  in  truth  be  declared  that  Crater  Lake  is  one  of  the  grandest  points  of  interest  on  earth.  Here  all  the  ingenuity  of  nature 
seems  to  have  been  exerted  to  the  fullest  capacity  to  build  one  grand,  awe-inspiring  temple  within  which  to  live  and  from  which  to  gaze 
upon  the  surrounding  world  and  say:  "Here  would  I  dwell  and  live  forever.  Here  would  I  make  my  home  from  choice;  the  universe  is 

my  kingdom,  and  this  my  throne." 

AWAY  TO  THE   NORTH,   AND  THENCE   TO   ALASKA. 

Our  trip  up  the  Columbia,  and  along  the  Willamette  as  far  as  Willamette  Falls,  was  delightful  beyond  any  one's  ability  to  describe; 
but  though  wonder  succeeded 
wonder,  and  kept  us  as  under 
a  spell  of  enchantment,  there 
were  other  surprises  in  store 
which  were  to  hold  our  interest 
and  even  add  something  to  our 
astonishment.  Returning  to 
Portland,  we  might  have 
carried  out  our  original  resolu 
tion  to  take  the  steamer  at 
that  point  direct  for  Alaska, 
but  we  very  wisely  made  a 
change  in  our  plans,  by  which 
we  proceeded  by  rail  to  Van 
couver,  stopping  en  route, 
however,  to  continue  our  work 
of  photographing  mountains, 
valleys  and  glaciers. 

Tacoma  was  our  first 
stop  after  leaving  Portland, 
and  a  very  beautiful  city  it  is, 
admirably  and  commercially 
situated  at  the  head  of  naviga 
tion  in  Puget's  Sound.  Mount 
Tacoma  appears  to  be  in  the 
very  front-yard  of  the  city,  so 
wonderfully  clear  is  the  air, 
though  in  fact  it  is  a  hundred 
miles  away.  The  Sound  is 
astir  with  the  white  wings  of 

sailing  vessels,  and  streaked  with  the  black  trails  of  ocean-going  steamers,  while  the  blue  waters  are  begirt  with  the  dark  green  of  heavy 
forests,  making  a  picture  of  almost  incomparable  beauty.  There  is  romance  in  the  very  air,  a  kind  of  dreamy  vision  of  the  long  ago,  when 
this  was  the  happy  land  of  the  Siwashes,  who  come  before  us  again  in  the  pretty  legends  which  linger  still  upon  the  lips  of  this  almost 
extinct  tribe.  They  tell  us  of  a  Saviour  who  once  came  to  them,  riding  in  a  copper  canoe,  out  of  the  bleak  desolation  of  the  icy  north,  and 


CATHEDRAL   ROCK,   ON  COLUMBIA   RIVER. 


INDIAN   BURIAL   HOUSES  NEAR  THE  TOWN  OF  JUNEAU,  ALASKA. 


220 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


who,  first  calling  all  the  tribes  together,  preached  to  them  the  gospel  of  unselfish  service  and  righteousness.  He  taught  them  the  beatitudes, 
and  was  first  to  declare  that  man  was  possessed  of  an  undying  spirit,  which  lived  forever,  in  pleasure  or  pain,  according  to  the  measure  of 
his  deserving.  The  Indians  listened  with  reverent  attention  until  this  Saviour  exhorted  them  to  live  in  brotherly  unity,  oue  with  another, 
and  to  avoid  all  strife,  for  he  who  shed  human  blood  would  feel  the  vengeance  of  the  Great  Spirit.  This  teaching  so  incensed  the  war-like 
tribes  that  they  seized  the  Saviour  and  nailed  his  body  to  a  tree,  where  it  remained  nine  days.  Then  behold,  there  came  a  great  storm  of 
hail,  accompanied  by  thunders 
that  rent  the  earth  and  leveled 
the  forests.  In  the  midst  of 
this  mighty  cataclysm  of  natural 
forces  the  Saviour  appeared 
again,  resurrected  unto  full  life, 
and  speaking  to  the  winds  and 
the  thunders,  in  an  instant  the 
storm  was  hushed,  and  a  great 
peace  and  burst  of  sunshine 
bathed  the  earth.  After  this 
the  reincarnated  Saviour 
renewed  his  preaching  and  con 
tinued  to  teach  immortality  for 
many  weeks,  until  at  last  he 
ascended  to  the  skies  in  a  cloud. 
These  same  Indians  have 
also  a  tradition  of  the  deluge, 
which  bears  a  striking  simi 
larity  to  the  Genetic  account. 
They  assert  that  many  thou 
sands  of  years  ago  a  great  rain 
fell  upon  the  earth,  such  as  was 
never  before /or  since  known; 
that  such  torrents  of  water  were 
poured  out  of  the  sky  that  the 
world  became  a  universal  sea, 
with  no  spot  of  dry7  land  any 
where  visible.  In  this  all-pre- 
vailing  flood  every- human  being  BRINK  OF  SNOQUALM.E  FALLS,  OREGON. 

perished  except  one  man  who  took  refuge  on  Mount  Tacoma.  As  the  water  rose,  he  was  driven  higher  and  higher,  until  at  last  he  reached 
the  summit;  but  still  the  sea  advanced;  it  covered  the  loftiest  point  of  the  mountain,  then  rose  above  his  feet,  his  knees,  and  finally  reached 
to  his  waist,  when,  to  prevent  him  from  being  swept  away,  the  Great  Spirit  turned  his  feet  to  stone,  and  he  thus  became  anchored  on  the 
peak.  Then  the  rain  ceased,  and  the  waters  were  gradually  assuaged,  but  the  man  could  not  yet  move  from  his  position.  At  last  the  waters 
were  again  within  their  beds,  the  fields  bloomed,  the  forests  put  forth  with  new  life,  and  the  world  became  musical  with  song  of  bird  and 


THE  GREAT  GLACIER.  SIDE  VIEW,  SHOWING  GRINDING  OF  THE  MOUNTAIN  FACE. 


222 

the  lullabies  of  flowing  streams. 
Then  a  profound  sleep  fell  upon  the 
man,  and  while  he  slept  the  Great 
Spirit  took  a  rib  from  his  side,  and 
from  it  made  a  beautiful  woman. 
When  he  woke  his  feet  were  no 
longer  stone,  but  strong  with  vigor, 
and  at  once  he  started  down  the 
mountain;  but  scarcely  had  he  taken 
the  first  step  when  he  saw  before 
him  the  lovely  woman  who  was  given 
to  him  for  wife.  The  Great  Spirit 
now  directed  the  couple  to  the  foot 
of  Tacoma,  where  he  had  planted  a 
garden,  and  in  this  paradise  he  com 
manded  them  to  abide  and  replenish 
the  world. 

It  is  probable  that  these  legends 
are  the  relics  of  the  teachings  of  mis 
sion  fathers  who  came  to  this  region 
more  than  two  hundred  years  ago. 

From  Tacoma  we  went  to  Seattle, 
another  exquisite  city  of  marvelous 
growth  and  immense  possibilities, 
which  occupies  a  strip  of  land  be 
tween  Puget  Sound  and  L,ake  Wash 
ington;  it  has  a  very  large  water 
front,  and  exhibits  a  harbor  as  active 
with  shipping  as  San  Francisco. 
From  Seattle,  where  we  left  our 
photograph  car,  we  went  to  Port 
Townsend,  and  thence  across  the 
Straits  of  Juan  de  Fuca  to  Victoria, 
on  Vancouver  Island,  where  we  first 
touched  the  soil  of  British  Columbia. 
This  city  is  also  a  very  beautiful  one, 
and  from  the  summit  of  Beacon  Hill 
a  magnificent  view  is  obtained,  com 
manding  a  very  great  expanse  of 
water,  Mount  Baker,  and  the 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


LATOURELLE   FALLS,  OREGON. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


A  VIEW  OF  MOUNT  HOOD. 


223 

Olympic  Range,  in  which  latter 
are  numerous  glaciers  large 
enough  to  swallow  up  the  Alps. 

On  the  2d  of  May  we  took 
passage  at  Victoria,  on  the 
Pacific  Coast  Steamship  Com 
pany's  vessel  Queen,  and 
started  upon  a  delightful  voyage 
to  Alaska,  that  opalescent  gem 
in  the  frosted  coronet  of  the  far 
northwest.  The  trip  is  a  reve 
lation,  a  day-dream  of  inde 
scribable  transports,  a  luxury 
of  blissful  surprises.  It  is  a 
strange  combination  of  ocean 
and  inland  water  travel,  and 
just  enough  of  each  to  provide 
all  the  pleasures  of  both,  with 
none  of  the  monotonies  or  dis 
comforts  of  either.  The  route 
is  almost  entirely  land-locked 
through  channels  of  varying 
width,  among  islands  which 
appear  numberless,  and  as  green 
with  prolific  vegetation  as  the 
shores  of  Killarney's  lakes. 

At  places  the  channel  nar 
rows  and  passes  through  walls 
of  very  great  height,  and  again 
widens  to  many  miles,  but  all 
the  while  there  are  emerald 
shores,  and  high-rising  banks 
over  which  tumble  many  beau 
tiful  waterfalls,  and  still  above 
these,  in  the  hazy  backgrounds, 
are  snow-capped  mountains. 
Two  hundred  miles  north  of 
Victoria  is  Nanaimo,  the  last 
town  with  telegraphic  connec 
tions,  and  six  hundred  miles 


224 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS 


beyond  the  steamer  touches  at  Fort  Wrangel,  where  the  first  contact  with  Alaska  Indians  is  made,  and  interest  at  once  centers  in  the  curious, 
appearance  and  habits  which  they  display.  Passing  thence  through  Wrangel  Narrows  the  region  of  ice  is  reached,  indicated  by  a  few 
straggling  bergs  that  have  become  detached  from  the  glacier  that  forms  in  a  fiord  called  Thunder  Bay,  near  the  mouth  of  Stikeen  River. 
Then  follows  a  view  of  the  Coast  Range,  which  is  rent  with  icy  canons  that  glow  and  gleam  with  refractions  of  clear  sunlight,  until  in 
places  they  suggest  the  palace  of  Iris.  Through  this  maze  of  mighty  wonders  the  steamer  plows  her  way  to  the  town  of  Juneau,  famous 
not  so  much  for  its  latitude  as  being  the  location  of  the  largest  quartz-mill  in  the  world.  Thence  we  proceeded  through  a  labyrinth  of 
islands  into  Lynn  Canal,  which  is  considered  to  be  the  "most  sublimely  beautiful  and  spacious  of  all  the  mountain- walled  channels  of 
the  Alaska  route."  The  Auk 
and  Eagle  Glaciers  are  dis 
played  on  the  right  as  you  enter 
the  canal,  coming  with  grand 
effect  from  their  far-reaching 
fountains  and  down  through 
the  forests.  But  it  is  on  the 
west  side  of  the  canal,  near  the 
head,  that  the  most  striking 
feature  of  the  landscape  is  seen 
— the  Davidson  Glacier.  It  first 
appears  as  an  immense  ridge  of 
ice  thrust  forward  into  the 
channel,  but  when  you  have 
gained  a  position  directly  in 
front,  it  is  shown  as  a  broad 
flood  issuing  from  a  noble 
granite  gate-way,  and  spreading 
out  to  right  and  left  in  a  beau 
tiful  fan-shaped  mass,  three  or 
four  miles  in  width,  the  front 
of  which  is  separated  from  the 
water  by  its  terminal  moraine. 
This  is  one  of  the  most  notable 
of  the  large  glaciers  that  are  in 
the  first  stage  of  decadence, 


UMATILLA   INDIAN   CAMP,  OREGON. 


reaching  nearly  to  tide-water,  but  failing  to  enter  it,  send  off  icebergs.  Davidson  Glacier  is  on  the  left  shore  of  Chilcat  River,  and  very 
near  the  Indian  village  of  Chilcat,  the  northernmost  point  reached  by  the  regular  line  of  steamers.  The  place  is  of  very  little  interest  except 
for  its  salmon  canneries  and  other  fisheries.  Cod,  herring  and  halibut  are  very  plentiful,  but  all  the  streams  thereabout  abound  with 
salmon.  Indeed,  during  certain  seasons  they  are  so  numerous  as  to  fairly  choke  the  shallow  rivers,  and  in  places  they  may  be  scooped  up 
with  shovels.  From  this  point  the  steamer  turns  south  to  Icy  Strait,  then  proceeds  north  again  by  that  channel  into  Glacier  Bay,  whence 
beyond  to  Mount  St.  Elias  is  the  real  ice-land  of  Alaska. 

Glancing  for  a  moment  at  the  results  of  a  general  exploration,  we  find  that  there  are  between  sixty  and  seventy  small  residual  glaciers 


INDIAN   RIVER,   ALASKA. 


THE   MOUNTAIN  NEAR  MUIR  GLACIER. 


226 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


in  the  California  Sierras.  Through  Oregon 
and  Washington,  glaciers,  some  of  them  of 
considerable  size,  still  exist  on  the  highest 
volcanic  cones  of  the  Cascade  Mountains — the 
Three  Sisters,  Mounts  Jefferson,  Hood,  St. 
Helens,  Adams,  Tacoma,  Baker,  and  others, 
though  none  of  them  approach  the  sea. 
Through  British  Columbia  and  Southeastern 
Alaska  the  broad,  sustained  chain  of  mountains 
extending  along  the  coast  is  generally  glacier- 
bearing.  The  upper  branches  of  nearly  every 
canon  are  occupied  by  glaciers,  which  gradu 
ally  increase  in  size  to  the  northward  iintil  the 
lofty  region  between  Glacier  Bay  and  Mount 
St.  Elias  is  reached. 

The  largest  of  the  glaciers  that  discharge 
into  Glacier  Bay  is  the  Muir,  and  being  also 
the  most  accessible  is  the  one  to  which  tourists 
are  taken  and  allowed  to  go  ashore  and  climb 
about  its  ice-cliffs  and  watch  the  huge  blue 
bergs  as  with  tremendous  thundering  roar  and 
surge  they  emerge  and  plunge  from  the  ma 
jestic  vertical  ice-wall  in  which  the  glacier 
terminates. 

The  front  of  the  glacier  is  about  three  miles 
wide,  but  the  central  berg-producing  portion, 
that  stretches  across  from  side  to  side  of  the 
inlet,  like  a  huge  jagged  barrier,  is  only  about 
half  as  wide.  The  height  of  the  ice-wall  above 
the  water  is  from  250  to  300  feet,  but  soundings 
made  by  Captain  Carroll  show  that  about  720 
feet  of  the  wall  is  below  the  surface,  while  still 
a  third  portion  is  buried  beneath  moraine  ma 
terial.  Therefore,  were  the  water  and  rocky 
detritus  cleared  away,  a  sheer  wall  of  blue  ice 
would  be  presented  a  mile  and  a  half  wide  and 
more  than  a  thousand  feet  high. 

The  number  of  bergs  that  become  detached 
from  the  glacier  every  twelve  hours  varies  with 
tide  and  weather,  but  generally  a  new  one  is 


CAVE   IN  THE  GREAT  GLACIER,  BRITISH   AMERICA. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


SCUZZIE  FALLS,   NEAR  NORTH  BEND,   BRITISH   AMERICA. 


227 

thus  fresh  born  every  six  or  seven  minutes,  and 
so  massive  that  the  discharge  may  be  heard 
like  thunder  or  cannonading  two  or  more  miles 
away.  When  one  of  the  fissured  masses  falls 
there  is  first  a  heavy,  plunging  crash,  then  a 
deep,  deliberate,  long-drawn-out  thundering 
roar,  followed  by  clashing,  grating  sounds  from 
the  agitated  bergs  set  in  motion  by  the  new 
arrival,  and  the  swash  of  waves  along  the 
beach.  All  the  very  large  bergs  rise  from  the 
bottom  with  a  still  grander  commotion,  rearing 
aloft  in  the  air  nearly  to  the  top  of  the  wall, 
with  tons  of  water  pouring  down  their  sides, 
heaving  and  plunging  again  and  again  ere  they 
settle  and  sail  away  as  blue  crystal  islands; 
free  at  last  after  being  held  rigid  as  part  of 
the  slow-crawling  glacier  for  centuries.  And 
strange  it  seems  that  ice  formed  from  snow  on 
the  mountains  two  and  three  hundred  years 
ago,  should  after  all  its  toil  and  travel  in 
grinding  down  and  fashioning  the  face  of  the 
landscape  still  remain  so  lovely  in  color  and 
so  pure. 

The  rate  of  motion  of  the  glacier  as  has 
been  determined  by  Professor  Reid  is,  near 
the  front,  about  from  five  to  ten  feet  per  day. 
This  one  glacier  is  made  up  of  about  200 
tributary  glaciers,  which  drain  an  area  of  about 
a  thousand  square  miles,  and  contains  more  ice 
than  all  the  eleven  hundred  glaciers  of  the 
Alps  combined.  The  distance  from  the  front 
back  to  the  head  of  the  farthest  tributary  is 
about  fifty  miles,  and  the  width  of  the  trunk 
below  the  confluence  of  the  main  tributaries  is 
twenty  miles  or  more. 

Next  to  the  Muir,  the  largest  of  the  glaciers 
enters  the  bay  at  its  extreme  northwestern 
extension.  Its  broad,  majestic  current,  fed  by 
unnumbered  tributaries,  is  divided  at  the  front 
by  an  island,  and  from  its  long,  blue  wall  the 


228 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


icebergs  plunge  and  roar  in  one  eternal  stonn,  sounding  on  clay  and  night,  winter  and  summer,  and  from  century  to  century.  Five  or  six 
glaciers  of  the  first  class  discharge  into  the  bay,  the  number  varying  as  the  several  outlets  of  the  ice-fields  are  regarded  as  distinct  glaciers, 
or  one.  About  an  equal  number  of  the  second  class  descend  with  broad,  imposing  currents  to  the  level  of  the  bay  without  entering  it  to 
discharge  bergs;  while  the  tributaries  of  these  and  the  smaller  glaciers  are  innumerable. 

Mr.  John  Muir,  the  explorer  of  Muir  Glacier,  thus  describes  his  visit  to  that  wonderful  ice-swept  region:  "The  clouds  cleared  away 
on  the  morning  of  the  27th,  and  we  had  glorious  views  of  the  ice-rivers  pouring  down  from  their  spacious  fountains  on  either  hand,  and  of 
the  grand  assemblage  of  mount 
ains,  immaculate  in  their  robes 
of  new  snow,  and  bathed  and 
transfigured  in  the  most  impres 
sively  lovely  sunrise  light  I 
ever  beheld.  Memorable,  too, 
was  the  starry  splendor  of  a 
night  spent  on  the  east  side  of 
the  bay,  in  front  of  two  large 
glaciers  north  of  the  Muir. 
Venus  seemed  half  as  big  as  the 
Moon,  while  the  berg-covered 
bay,  glowing  and  sparkling 
with  responsive  light,  seemed 
another  sky  of  equal  glory. 
Shortly  after  three  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  I  climbed  the 
dividing  ridge  between  the  two 
glaciers,  2,000  feet  above  camp, 
for  the  sake  of  the  night  views; 
and  how  great  was  the  enjoy 
ment  in  the  solemn  silence  be 
tween  those  two  radiant  skies 
no  words  may  tell." 

The  destructive  effects  of 
glaciers  and  the  extent  of  their 
ravages  have  been  made  the  sub 
ject  of  many  interesting  essays 


FACE   OF   MUIR  GLACIER,   ALASKA. 


by  distinguished  scientists,  but  nowhere  has  it  been  so  interestingly  and  understandingly  treated  as  by  Dr.  Wright  in  the  Edinburgh 
Review,  on  the  "Ice  Age  of  North  America."  The  monograph,  much  abbreviated,  is  as  follows: 

"It  is  not  more  than  10,000  years  ago  since  the  whole  of  North  America  and  Northern  Europe  emerged  from  beneath  a  deluge  of  ice 
which  seems  to  have  destroyed  the  aboriginal  inhabitants  as  remorselessly  as  Noah's  flood. 

"The  chipped  flint  implement-makers  perished  with  their  contemporaries,  the  mammoth,  the  woolly  rhinoceros,  and  the  sable- 
toothed  tiger,  and  left  the  globe  to  be  repeopled  by  the  polished  stone-working  or  Neolithic  progenitors  of  its  actual  inhabitants.  The  gap 


VILLAGE   OF   KASA-AN,   ALASKA. 


230 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


between  the  two  races  is  conspicuous,  and  has  not  yet  been  archseologically  bridged.     A  catastrophe  is  indicated;  and  a  catastrophe  by 
water.     This  is  the  conclusion  of  science;  how  singularly  it  harmonizes  with  the  biblical  narrative  is  almost  superfluous  to  point  out." 

The  destruction  of  the  Antediluvians  who 
lived  before  the  Ice  Age  set  in  was  accomplished 
much  further  back;  the  date  6,000  B.  C.  repre 
sents  the  end  of  the  Ice  Age,  not  its  beginning. 
How  it  was  that  ice  submerged  the  world  no  one 
seems  to  be  exactly  able  to  say,  but  a  great  deal 
of  valuable  information  has  been  obtained  by 
the  geological  research  of  the  present  century. 
Before  this  devastating  deluge  of  ice  set  in — 

"Trees  reigned  without  interruption,  in 
north  temperate  and  Polar  regions,  throughout 
the  vast  expanse  of  tertiary  time.  Palms  and 
cycads  then  sprang  up  in  the  room  of  oaks  and 
beeches  in  England;  turtles  and  crocodiles 
haunted  English  rivers  and  estuaries;  lions, 
elephants,  and  hyenas  roamed  at  large  over 
English  dry  land.  Anthropoid  apes  lived  in 
Germany  and  France,  fig  and  cinnamon  trees 
flourished  in  Dantzic;  in  Greenland,  up  to 
seventy  degrees  of  latitude,  magnolias  bloomed, 
and  vines  ripened  their  fruit;  while  in  Spitz- 
bergeu,  and  even  in  Grinnell  L,and,  within  little 
more  than  eight  degrees  of  the  pole,  swamp- 
cypresses  and  walnuts,  cedars,  limes,  planes  and 
poplars  grew  freely." 

For  some  reason  or  other  the  temperature 
gradually  fell,  and  great  glaciers  forming  in  the 
northern  regions,  the  highlands  of  Canada  and 
the  Arctic  Circles,  submerged  Northern  Europe 
and  reduced  Canada  and  half  of  the  United  States 
to  the  present  condition  of  Greenland.  Those 
who  see  glaciers  to-day  can  form  little  idea  of 
the  enormous  possibilities  of  semi-fluid  ice. 
Only  in  Alaska,  where  the  Muir  Glacier  empties 
itself  into  the  Muir  inlet  at  the  rate  of  seventy 


feet  a  day,  can  we  form  any  idea  of  the  glacier 


CHRISTINE   FALLS,   ALICE   BAY,   ALASKA. 


as  a  destructive  agency.     This  glacier  empties  two  hundred  million  cubic  feet  of  ice  into  the  sea  every  day;  that  is  to  say,  45,000  tons  of 
ice  fall  into  the  water  every  minute  in  avalanches  with  detonations  which  sound  like  the  booming  of  a  canonnade.     The  very  earth  seems 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


231 


to  tremble,  and  the  sea  boils  and  foams  with  the  continual  discharge  of  fresh  icebergs.  "From  observations  upon  living  glaciers,"  says 
Dr.  Wright,  "and  from  the  known  nature  of  ice,  we  may  learn  to  recognize  the  track  of  a  glacier  as  readily  and  unmistakably  as  we  would 
the  familiar  foot-prints  of  an  animal."  By  the  effects  of  ice-grinding,  rocks  are  smoothed  and  polished,  rounded  and  mammilated.  They 
are,  moreover,  striated.  "These  may  be  called  glacial  hieroglyphics;  glacial  deposits  are  equally  distinctive.  They  are  of  three  different 
kinds — ground  moraine,  terminal  moraine,  and  erratic  bowlders.  The  heights  to  which  the  ice-flood  rose  are  frequently  self-registered  on 
the  mountains  which  once  breasted  its  flow.  They  serve,  in  Dr.  Wright's  phrase,  as  'glaciometers. '  Thus  it  has  been  learned  that  the  ice  was 
a  mile  thick  in  New  England  and  a  couple  of  thousand  feet  thick  in  Pennsylvania.  The  date  of  the  close  of  the  Glacial  Epoch  in  the  United 

States  can  scarcely,  then,  be 
placed  earlier  than  6,000  B.  C. 
For  it  was,  we  repeat,  the  with 
drawal  of  the  ice  that  set  the 
chronometer  of  the  Falls  going. 
The  Falls  of  Niagara,  indeed, 
constitute  in  themselves,  in  Dr. 
Wright's  apt  phrase,  'a  glacial 
chronometer.'  " 

It  was  this  tremendous 
agency  of  glacial  action  that 
gave  us  Northwest  America  as 
we  have  it  at  present.  ' '  The  in 
exhaustible  fertility  of  the  Far 
West  is  an  endowment  from 
vanished  glaciers. ' ' 

The  world  to-day  is  very 
different  from  what  it  was  in 
the  old  times.  The  mountains 
stood  higher  and  the  glaciers 
forming  on  their  slopes 
crumpled  the  earth  in  beneath 
their  weight.  The  earth-crust 
was  not  strong  enough  to  bear 
the  weight  of  its  ice-armor. 
About  six  million  square  miles 
were  covered  with  ice,  varying 


TAKU   GLACIER,   ALASKA. 


in  thickness  of  half  a  mile  to  a  mile.  Taking  it  only  at  half  a  mile  in  height,  the  weight  per  square  mile  was  no  less  than  two  thousand 
million  of  tons.  "And  the  whole  of  this  enormous  mass  being  extracted  from  the  ocean,  its  differential  effect  in  producing  change  of  level 
was  doubled.  The  ice-cumbered  land  accordingly  went  down,  like  an  overladen  ship,  until  it  was  awash  with  the  waves,  and  sea-shells 
were  deposited  along  coast-fringes  above  the  drift.  Then,  as  the  ice  melted,  recovery  ensued."  The  whole  article  is  full  of  interesting 
and  suggestive  reading,  and  is  an  excellent  example  of  a  popular  presentation  of  the  results  of  scientific  research. 

The  return  trip  was  made  down  Chatham  and  Peril  Straits  to  Sitka,  the  capital  city  of  Alaska,  situated  on  the  Pacific  shore  of 


232 

Baranoff  Island.  The  place  has  grown 
very  much  in  importance  in  the  past 
few  years,  though  it  has  not  increased 
correspondingly  in  size.  It  is  a  con 
siderable  harbor  for  whaling  and  seal 
ing  vessels,  that  touch  there  for 
supplies,  and  accordingly  supports  a 
population  that  is  largely  American. 
The  natives,  however,  still  continue 
in  considerable  numbers,  but  contact 
with  English-speaking  people  is 
rapidly  civilizing  them,  and  their 
old-time  characteristics  are  fast  dis 
appearing.  But  in  one  particular  they 
exhibit  small  change,  viz.:  religion. 
Ivong  under  the  domination  of  Russian 
influence  and  missionaries  of  the 
Greek  Church,  it  is  not  surprising  that 
the  natives  should  continue  in  the 
faith  which  was  thus  first  established 
among  them.  There  are  three  Greek 
churches  in  the  city,  all  fairly  well  sup 
ported,  though  the  communicants  are 
content  to  worship  in  rather  humble 
edifices.  But  while  adopting  the 
Greek  faith,  the  native  Indians  gen 
erally  retain  their  ancient  mortuary 
customs;  and  among  the  interior 
tribes  particularly,  witchcraft,  or 
Shamanism,  and  exorcism,  still  pre 
vails.  Burial  of  bodies  is  very  seldom 
practiced  among  any  of  the  Indians, 
as  preservation  of  their  dead  is  a  uni 
versal  desire.  It  is,  therefore,  a 
common  thing  to  see  their  cemeteries, 
instead  of  earth-mounds  and  tomb 
stones,  a  collection  of  mortuary 
houses,  in  which  the  dead  are  laid 
with  great  care,  concealed  only  by  the 
skins  or  blankets  in  which  they  are 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


DAWSON'S  GLACIER,   BRITISH   AMERICA. 


SITKA  BAY,  ALASKA. 


THE  POOL  AT  BANFF  HOT  SPRINGS,  BRITISH   AMERICA. 


234 

wrapped,  something  after  the  manner  of  the 
Sioux  Indians.  Thus  disposed  of,  the  dead 
are  long  preserved  in  that  cold  climate,  the 
houses  themselves  often  decaying  before  dis 
solution  of  the  bodies  is  far  advanced.  This, 
however,  applies  to  what  may  be  called  the 
better  class  of  natives.  Among  the  interior 
and  poor  people,  it  is  the  custom  to  remove 
the  body  to  some  secluded  spot,  usually  on  a 
bluff  overlooking  a  river,  and  lay  it  upon  the 
ground.  A  shelter  is  made  by  building  over 
it  a  small  conical-shaped  structure  of  spruce 
logs,  and  a  tree  near-by  is  stripped  of  its 
branches  and  small  pieces  of  cloth  are  tied  to 
it  to  mark  the  spot.  The  household  utensils, 
sled,  and  some  of  the  weapons  of  the  deceased 
are  left  with  him,  should  he  be  the  head  of 
a  family,  and  the  place  is  tabooed  thenceforth. 
Our  return  journey  was  devoid  of  the  sur 
prises  which  made  the  northward  trip  so 
delightful,  yet  the  charm  which  possessed  us 
after  leaving  Victoria  continued  throughout, 
for  the  magnificent  scenery  along  the  route 
cannot  be  exhausted  by  a  single  glance,  but 
rather  grows  in  beauty  when  lingeringly 
watched.  It  was  impossible  to  feel  that  the 
voyage  was  being  made  on  any  part  of  the 
ocean,  so  still  was  the  water,  so  green  the 
near-by  shores,  so  clear  the  sky,  dropping 
down  all  around  upon  frosted  peaks  and 
island  forests.  And  the  nights  were  so  glori 
ously  grand,  sprinkled  with  jewels  of  light 
from  moon  and  stars  that  made  the  world  as 
beautiful  as  the  lawn  in  front  of  paradise, 
and  brought  to  mind  the  poet's  tribute  to 
nature's  solitude: 

"  The  waves  were  dead; 
The  tides  were  in  their  graves; 
The  moon,  their  mistress,  had  expired  before; 
The  winds  were  withered  in  the  stagnant  air." 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


DEVIL'S  GATE,   BEAVER  CANON,   BRITISH   AMERICA. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

ACROSS  THE  MOUNTAINS  TO  YELLOWSTONE  PARK. 


T  was  the  15th  of  May  when  we  returned  to  Victoria,  and  without  any  waste  of  time  we  proceeded  to  Seattle,  and  there  made  hasty 
preparation  to  continue  our  work  along  the  northern  lines  of  road  towards  the  east.  A  little  change  was  made  in  our  original  plans, 
by  a  brief  diversion  from  the  routes  we  had  marked  out,  in  order  to  view  and  take  some  pictures  of  the  marvelous  scenery  along  Fraser 
River,  on  the  line  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railroad.  This  stream  is  as  wide  as  the  Ohio,  but  generally  of  great  depth,  and  being 
confined  within  perpendicular  walls,  often  rising  to  a  height  of  500  feet,  it  is  a  rushing  flood,  too  swift  in  places  for  the  most  powerful 

steamer  to  make  head  against. 
The  road  follows  the  bed  of  this 
torrential  stream  for  a  distance 
of  150  miles,  through  the  Cas 
cade  Mountains,  and  in  sight 
at  times  of  the  Okinagan  Range. 
Beyond  these  eastward  are  the 
Gold,  Selkirk  and  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  in  between  and 
about  these  are  glaciers  of  ex 
traordinary  proportions,  which 
in  summer  feed  tearing  cata 
racts  and  plunging  waterfalls, 
and  furnish  nature  pictures  that 
thrill  the  heart  with  wonder. 
Beyond  the  valley  of  Thompson 
River,  where  the  Golden  Range 
begins,  the  scenery  is  quite  as 
grand,  though  scarcely  so  sub 
lime  as  that  in  the  canon  of  the 
Fraser;  but  the  mountains  are 
surprisingly  beautiful,  and 
variegated  with  patches  of 
snow,  clumps  of  evergreen,  and 
sheets  of  soft  blue  water  that 
invite  the  angler.  Louise, 
Agnes  and  Mirror  lakes  lie  one 
above  the  other,  high  up  upon 
the  mountain  sides,  where  they 
are  often  hidden  by  clouds,  and 


SPOKANE  FALLS,  WASHINGTON. 


235 


NATIVE  GIRLS  OF  HAWAII,  SANDWICH  ISLANDS. 


KANFOHE   PARK,   HAWAII. 


238 

are  accordingly  called  the  "Three  Sisters  of 
the  Sky."  Castle  Mountain  may  be  seen 
from  this  point,  which  is  only  a  few  miles 
from  Banff,  famous  for  its  hot  springs,  and 
for  being  the  chief  resort  in  the  Canadian 
National  Park,  with  a  hotel  capable  of  accom 
modating  800  guests. 

The  side-trip  which  we  took  on  the  Cana 
dian  Pacific  occupied  only  one  week,  and 
though  not  originally  contemplated  in  our 
plan  of  photographing  American  scenery, 
more  than  compensated  for  the  change,  for 
we  are  thus  enabled  to  present  some  British 
American  scenery  equal  to  the  most  magnifi 
cent,  imposing  and  attractive  that  our  own 
country  possesses. 

Had  the  time  been  at  our  disposal,  we 
would  have  made  our  scenic  journey  extend 
to  the  Sandwich  Islands,  after  our  return  to 
Victoria,  particularly  as  there  was  some  polit 
ical  agitation  in  the  government  at  Hawaii  at 
the  time.  Indeed,  while  in  San  Francisco, 
we  were  earnestly  urged  to  visit  the  islands 
with  our  cameras,  so  as  to  include  them  in 
our  Wonderland  book;  and  to  the  other  in 
ducements  offered,  we  were  presented  with 
some  views  of  the  Hawaiian  palace,  the  pal 
metto  embowered  walks,  cocoanut  groves,  and 
pictures  of  the  charming  native  girls,  which 
latter  was  a  particularly  powerful  persuasive. 
But  the  islands,  charming  though  they  are, 
do  not  belong  as  yet  to  the  American  domain, 
and  cannot  therefore  ba  properly  included, 
though  on  account  of  the  annexation  senti 
ment,  and  President  Harrison's  message 
urging  their  acquisition,  the  views  given  to 
us  are  here  reproduced. 

Returning  to  Seattle,  we  proceeded  di 
rectly  eastward  again,  by  the  Northern  Pacific 
Railroad,  crossing  for  a  third  time  the  Cascade 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


KAKABEKA  FALLS,   NEAR  FORT  WILLIAMS,  THUNDER  BAY,  LAKE  SUPERIOR. 


THE   ROYAL   PALACE,   HAWAII. 


240 

Range  and  viewing  again  the  white  and  sun- 
lighted  crests  of  Mounts  Hood,  St.  Helens, 
Adams  and  Ranier.  The  route  is  along  the 
Yakimer  River,  through  charming  scenery 
all  the  way  to  Spokane  Falls,  where  the 
beauty  of  the  landscape,  as  well  as  the  might 
and  awfulness  of  the  falls,  arrested  us  for  a 
time.  Palouse  Falls  is  within  nine  miles  of 
the  junction  of  the  Snake  with  Columbia 
River,  and  are  a  part  of  Palouse  River,  which, 
after  flowing  through  a  deep  canon  thirty 
feet  wide,  pours  over  a  precipice  that  is  a 
sheer  height  of  125  feet.  The  surrounding 
rocks  exhibit  many  unique  forms,  ranging  in 
terraces  to  a  height  of  2,000  feet,  and  then 
assuming  the  shape  of  pinnacles,  chimneys, 
columns  and  needles,  as  if  the  region  had  one 
time  been  the  work-grounds  of  giant  sculptors. 

Snake  River  is  interrupted  by  enormous 
falls,  the  most  important  of  which  are  Ameri 
can  and  Island  Falls,  the  former  having  a  drop 
of  thirty  feet;  being  very  wide  before  taking 
the  final  leap,  the  river  flows  over  a  series 
of  ledges  that  break  the  water  into  cataracts. 
Further  up  the  stream,  about  fifty  miles  from 
Shoshone  Falls,  are  Lost  Falls,  which  leap 
down  from  a  height  of  two  hundred  feet,  and 
then  the  river,  of  which  they  are  a  part,  dis 
appears  under  the  lava-covered  earth,  but 
reappears  again  several  miles  beyond  and 
resumes  its  impetuous  and  erratic  course. 

Some  fifty  miles  east  of  Spokane,  on  the 
line  of  the  Northern  Pacific,  is  Hauser  Junc 
tion,  where  the  road  branches  southward, 
through  the  Coeur  d'  Alene  Indian  Reserva 
tion  and  a  great  mining  region,  while  the 
main  line  runs  around  the  north  shore  of  Lake 
Pend  d'  Oreille,  the  most  beautiful  sheet  of 
water  in  the  northwest,  and  destined  some 
time  to  become  a  popular  resort.  Beyond  the 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


SNOW-SHEDS  ON   THE  CANADIAN   PACIFIC. 


MISSOURI   RIVER,   ALONG  THE  GREAT   NORTHERN   RAILROAD. 

16 


242 

lake  is  the  Flathead  Indian  Reservation,  and 
at  Missoula  the  two  lines  of  road  unite  again. 
This  city  is  a  place  of  much  importance,  and 
admirably  situated  near  the  Junction  of  Hell 
Gate  and  Bitter  Root  River,  a  district  of  great 
scenic  beauty.  Flathead  Lake  lies  sixty 
miles  to  the  north,  an  emerald  sheet  of  crystal 
water  reposing  within  a  bed  of  lofty  cliffs,  and 
baited  in  the  center  by  a  chain  of  wooded 
islands,  while  its  waters  are  discharged  into 
the  Pend  d'  Oreille  River,  that  dashes  away 
through  deep  gorges  in  tumultuous  flow.  Forty 
miles  from  this  picturesque  lake  are  the  Two 
Sisters'  Cascades,  which  pour  over  the  opposite 
walls  of  a  colossal  amphitheater  2,000  feet 
high,  and  then  unite  to  journey  through  gorge, 
over  waterfall  and  'across  lovely  meadows, 
catching  perfume  and  inspiration  on  their  way 
to  the  Pacific. 

The  way  thence  from  Missoula  is  over  a 
comparatively  level  stretch  of  country,  until 
just  west  of  Helena  the  road  strikes  the  Main 
Divide  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  to  cross 
this  broken  region  it  is  compelled  to  pursue 
a  winding  way. 

Helena  is  reputed  to  be  the  richest  city  of 
its  size  in  all  the  world,  a  claim  well  supported 
by  appearances,  for  while  having  probably 
15,000  inhabitants,  it  has  all  the  conveniences 
of  our  largest  cities,  and  in  no  other  place  of 
equal  population  are  the  public  buildings  and 
residences  so  magnificent  and  palatial.  But 
aside  from  its  wealth  and  beauty,  the  place  is 
the  center  of  a  region  as  remarkable  for  its 
scenic  attractions  as  for  its  silver  mines. 
Eighteen  miles  north  of  Helena  is  the  canon 
of  Little  Prickly  Pear,  where  precipitous  walls 
rise  to  a  varying  height  of  500  to  1,000  feet, 
and  are  gorgeously  colored  by  stratas  of  differ 
ent  formations,  blending  with  hues  of  trees, 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


KANANASKE'S  FALLS,  BRITISH   AMERICA. 


FRONT  VIEW  OF  MAMMOTH   HOT  SPRINGS-CLEOPATRA  AND  JUPITER  TERRACES. 


244 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


shrubs,  and  vines  that  tenderly  cling  to  their  faces.  Near-by  is  the  portal  through  which  the  headwaters  of  the  Missouri  go  madly 
careening,  making  a  deep  roaring  sound  as  they  dash  between  walls  1,000  feet  high.  Atlantic  Canon  is  only  three  miles  further  down  the 
river,  and  next  in  quick  succession  appears  the  Bear's  Tooth,  two  monoliths  that  may  be  distinctly  seen  from  Helena,  twenty  miles  away. 
The  Montana  Central  and  Great  Northern  Railroad  convey  travelers  over  a  good  road  eighty  miles  further,  to  the  Falls  of  the 
Missouri,  three  in  number,  which  are  scattered  over  a  distance  of  twelve  miles,  where  the  river  flows  through  a  canon  with  vertical  walls 
200  to  500  feet  high.  We  first  meet  a  cascade  called  Black  Eagle  Falls,  where  the  entire  river  drops  over  a  ledge  twenty-six  feet  high,  a 
precursor  of  the  more  ter 
rible  waterfalls  that  are 
to  come.  The  next  one 
to  appear  in  view  is 
Rainbow  Falls,  where  the 
river,  1,200  feet  wide, 
hurls  itself  down  a  per 
pendicular  descent  of  fifty 
feet.  Six  miles  further 
down  are  the  Great  Falls, 
that  have  a  leap  of  ninety 
feet,  and  whose  terrible 
roaring  can  be  heard  a 
dozen  miles  away.  At 
this  point  the  river  has  a 
volume  greater  than  the 
Mississippi,  but  is  nar 
rowed  to  300  feet  by  walls 
200  feet  high.  An  island 
divides  the  rushing 
waters,  the  half  next  to 
the  right  bank  dashing 
down  with  such  tremen 
dous  effect  that  clouds  of 
spray  are  sent  200  feet 
high,  which,  struck  by 
bright  sunbeams,  are  con 
verted  into  rainbows,  or 


CANON  OF   MISSOURI   RIVER,   NEAR  GREAT  FALLS. 


at  times  glow  with  prismatic  hues  like  giant  soap-bubbles.  That  part  of  the  stream  flowing  to  the  left  passes  over  a  succession  of  ledges, 
forming  a  magnificent  cataract  of  fleecy  foam,  200  feet  in  width  and  90  feet  in  perpendicular  elevation.  But  though  these  are  the 
principal  falls,  there  are  twelve  others  within  a  distance  of  ten  miles,  having  a  total  descent  of  400  feet,  and  these  interruptions  in  the 
channel  continue,  though  in  a  lesser  degree,  as  far  down  as  Fort  Benton,  which  is  the  head  of  navigation. 

The  country  east  of  Helena,  along  the  line  of  the  Northern  Pacific,  presents  no  variation  of  apparently  boundless  prairie  land,  until 
the  Bad  Lands  of  Northern  Dakota  are  reached,  which  will  be  hereafter  described.     One  hundred  and  fifty  miles  east  of  the  city,  however, 


PULPIT  TERRACE,   MAMMOTH   HOT  SPRINGS. 


246 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


is  the  town  of  Livingston,  at  which  point  Yellowstone  Park  visitors  change  cars  to  a  branch  line  that  runs  fifty  miles  due  south  to  Cinnabar, 
which  is  within  a  mile  of  the  Wyoming  State  line,  and  three  miles  from  the  northern  boundary  of  the  National  Park.  We  are  now  upon 
the  borders  of  the  most  wondrous  region  of  the  earth,  the  curiosities  of  which  we  will  now  attempt  to  briefly  describe,  though  words  seem 
to  lose  their  significance  when  they  are  used  to  portray  the  marvels  that  exist  in  this  real  wonderland. 

At  Cinnabar,  tourists  take  the  stage  for  a  seven  miles'  ride  to  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  Hotel,  which  is  the  first  and  principal  hostelry 
within  the  park.  This  ride  prepares  the  visitor  for  remarkable  surprises,  for  it  is  through  an  erratic  district  of  soaring  pinnacles,  dizzy 
walls  and  chaotic  formations, 
stranger  and  more  weird  than 
the  gate- way  that  Cerberus 
guarded.  Away  up  on  the  apex 
of  the  first  tall  spire  of  stone 
that  has  broken  away  from  the 
canon  walls  of  Gardiner  River, 
is  seen  an  eagle's  nest,  an  aerie 
so  lofty  that  the  clouds  play 
about  it;  so  far-reaching  sky 
ward  that  it  is  tipped  with  the 
waking  beams  of  sunlight  before 
day,  and  is  bright  with  linger 
ing  rays  when  evening  shades 
have  descended.  By  aid  of 
glass  the  eagle  may  be  seen 
demurely  surveying  the  world, 
or  in  her  absence  the  straining 
necks  of  her  ambitious  brood, 
watching  the  neighboring  crags 
for  their  royal  parent's  return. 
Nothing  that  I  saw  in  Yellow 
stone  Park  impressed  me  more 
than  this  nest  of  eagles  in  the 
azure  depths  of  that  perilous 
peak. 

This    great    National 

„     ,    .  ,        •       ,    .  RAINBOW  FALLS,  GRAND  FALLS,   MONTANA. 

Park  is  a  volcanic  plateau  some 

10,000  feet  above  sea  level,  and  embraces  a  territory  fifty-five  by  sixty-five  miles,  or  3,575  square  miles.  It  was  first  visited  by  John  Colter, 
an  attache  of  the  Lewis  and  Clarke  exploring  expedition  in  1806,  but  it  was  not  until  nearly  fifty  years  later  that  stories  told  of  the  region 
by  old  trappers  and  hunters  were  verified  by  a  visit  of  members  of  the  Geologic  Survey.  In  1880  it  was  made  a  National  Park,  since  which 
time  it  has  been  under  the  immediate  control  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  who  appoints  a  superintendent  with  headquarters  at  the 
Mammoth  Hot  Springs,  and  polices  the  park  with  a  company  of  cavalry,  whose  principal  care  is  the  protection  of  game.  So  faithfully  has 
this  duty  been  executed  that  the  park  now  abounds  with  deer,  buffalo,  elk,  bear,  and  a  few  mountain  lions,  besides  a  great  abundance  of 


t 

*• 


<»»VS^~ 


LITTLE  JUPITER  TERRACE. 


248 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


small  game  and  water-fowl.  Upon  alighting  from  the  stage  at  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  Hotel,  the  first  objects  that  attract  the  interest  of 
visitors  are  the  pink  terraced  springs  and  Cap  of  Liberty,  which  are  in  the  front-yard,  so  to  speak.  The  springs,  fifty  in  number,  cover  an 
area  of  170  acres  and  by  a  constant  deposition  of  carbonate  of  lime  have  built 
up,  terrace  upon  terrace,  a  mound  fully  200  feet  high. 

The  springs  have  their  source  somewhere  within  an  active  volcanic 
belt,  and  thus  heated  by  internal  fires  they  pour  out  their  waters  at  a  tem 
perature  of  112°  to  163°  Fahrenheit,  which,  acting  upon  the  soft  limestone, 
dissolves  and  converts  it  into  what  geologists  call  travertine,  a  semi- 
crystalline  deposit  that  quickly  hardens  upon  coming  in  contact  with  the 
air.  When  first  observed,  the  terraces  resemble  a  snow-bank,  but  by  other 
writers  they  have  been  compared  to  the  terminal  front  of  a  glacier,  and  again 
like  a  foaming  cascade  suddenly  turned  into  stone.  Streaks  and  patches  of 
red,  yellow  and  green  seen  upon  the  white  slopes  mark  the  course  of  over 
flowing  water,  while  clouds  of  steam  float  lightly  upward  from  the  many 
springs,  but  only  to  quickly  disappear. 

There  are  in  all  eight  well-defined  benches,  each  with  a  more  or  less 
level  surface,  and  terminating  with  vertical  fronts  to  the  next  terrace  below. 
Near  the  terraces,  though  on  a  bench  of  ground  by  itself,  is  Liberty  Cap, 
a  pillar  forty-three  feet  high  and  twenty  feet  in  diameter,  with  sphinx-like 
profile,  the  cone  of  a  hot  spring  long  since  extinct.  Close-by  is  a  similar 
monolith,  not  so  tall,  called  the  Devil's  Thumb,  a  name  readily  suggested 
by  the  proximity  of  the  springs  to  Pluto's  dominion,  as  some  will  have  it, 
and  the  gossip  that  Satan's  hand  is  in  all  the  region  thereabout. 

In  wandering  around  the  terraces  the  visitor  is  sure  to  have  his  sur 
prise  quickened  by  the  brightly-tinted  basins,  and  the  red  and  orange  slopes 
overflowed  by  the  hot  waters.  These  colors  are  due  to  the  presence  of 
minute  algae,  or  water-plants,  whose  life  is  strangely  enough  supported  by 
the  hot  water  and  the  lime  held  in  solution;  for  investigation  has  disclosed 
the  astonishing  fact  that  the  chief  work  of  these  microscopic  plants  is  the 
separation  from  the  water  of  the  carbonate  of  lime,  which  they  cause  by 
abstracting  the  carbonic  acid. 

The  view  from  these  mammoth  terraces  is  picturesque  beyond  com 
parison:  The  dark  and  lofty  summit  of  Sepulchre  Mountain  shows  its  drowsy 
head  near-by  on  the  north;  while  the  upper  valley  of  the  Yellowstone,  and 
the  jagged  peaks  of  Snowy  Range,  are  seen  to  the  northeast,  between  Sepul 
chre  and  the  long  face  of  Mount  Evarts.  In  the  southeast  the  eye  dwells 
pleasantly  upon  the  distant  view  of  Lava  Creek  and  Undine  Falls,  with 
many  snow-white  peaks,  standing  like  sentinels  around  this  wizard  realm; 
while  Bunsen  Peak  keeps  watch  towards  the  south,  its  dark  slopes  making 
an  effective  background  to  the  white  hills  of  hot  spring  deposit.  SLUICE-BOX  CANON,  NEAR  GREAT  FALLS,  MONTANA. 


COATING  SPRING   TERRACE. 


250 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


When  we  turn  from  viewing  the  surrounding  scenery  and  begin  to  examine  particularly  each  separate  formation,  we  find  near  the 
center  of  this  sublimated  field  a  bine  spring,  brilliant  as  a  sapphire,  and  clear  as  a  diamond,  with  a  deep  and  irregular  rim  all  around  it,  as 
if  nature  had  made  an  effort  to  retain  its  beautiful  waters.  This  spring  is  fifteen  by  twenty  feet  in  area,  and  is  in  a  state  of  constant 
agitation.  The  sides  and  bottom  of  the  basin  are  formed  of  pure  white  travertine,  while  the  varying  depths  cause  the  water  to  appear  all 
shades  between  a  deep  peacock-blue  and  a  light  nile-green.  Issuing  at  a  temperature  of  165°,  the  water  contains  a  considerable  amount  of 
gas,  which  escapes  at  the  surface  of  the  pool,  thus  causing  the  flow  to  rise  in  the  form  of  a  little  dome,  while  a  pulsating  movement  is 
imparted  which  sends  out  waves  that  ripple  across 
the  water  and  curl  over  the  shallow  rim  of  the 

bowl,  filling  other  basins  along  its  course.     These  ..        >V  »  > 

terraced  overflow  basins,  thus  formed,  are  a  most 
striking  feature  of  the  springs.  No  description  can 
do  justice  to  their  beauty,  for  neither  the  delicate 
fretwork  of  their  walls,  the  frosted  surface  of  the 
glistening  deposit,  nor  the  brilliant  colors  of  the 
pools  and  rivers  can  be  adequately  described. 

In  many  places  the  overflow  is  in  thin 
sheets  and  little  cascades,  while  yellow,  sulphur- 
coated  threads  of  algse  are  abundant,  though  they 
do  not  impart  their  color  to  the  water,  for  the 
exquisite  blues  and  greens  of  the  hottest  basins  are 
due  solely  to  the  varying  depths  of  water.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  bright  lemon,  red  and  green  shades 
of  the  cooler  pools  are  entirely  vegetable  in  their 
nature,  and  due  to  the  presence  of  algae  lining  the 
basins  and  striping  their  outer  walls. 

The  upper  basins  are  generally  shallow, 
because  of  the  rapid  deposit  of  lime,  but  this  depo 
sition  occurs  after  the  overflow,  thus  forming  what 
is  called  the  Marble  Basins,  after  which,  the  water 
being  somewhat  cooled,  the  deposit  is  slower. 
Accordingly,  we  find  that  the  lower  slopes  are 
exquisitely  fringed  with  slender  stalactites  and 
pillars,  forming  the  beautiful  Pulpit  Basins  as  shown 
in  the  illustration. 


ECHO  CANON   FALLS,   IN   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS,   NEAR  MIDVALE,   MONTANA. 


The  Government  has  expended  large  sums  of  money  in  making  roads  through  the  most  interesting  sections  of  the  park,  and  over 
these  we  pursued  a  greater  part  of  our  way  in  reaching  the  places  which  we  desired  to  photograph.  A  stage  runs  through  the  park,  in 
which  visitors  may  make  the  tour  in  six  days,  but  for  manifest  reasons  we  traveled  by  private  conveyances,  camping  out  as  often  as  we  took 
quarters  at  the  several  hotels  located  at  convenient  distances  along  the  route. 

Leaving  the  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  terraces,  whose  incomparable  beauties  must  ever  remain  as  a  delightful  remembrance,  we  traveled 
southward  by  the  Koodoos,  and  entered  the  Golden  Gate,  where  a  part  of  the  road  is  built  over  a  canon  and  another  part  is  carved  out  of  the 


LIMESTONE  HOODOOS.  IN  YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK. 


252 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


cliffs,  along  which  there  is  a  charm  following  every  footstep.  On  the  one 
side  rise  precipitous  walls,  while  on  the  other  is  a  gorge  of  almost  infinite 
depth,  through  which  plunges  Gardiner  River,  broken  and  foaming  with 
cascade  and  waterfall.  Beyond  the  gates  there  is  a  brief  level,  then 
down  again  among  fresh  curiosities  the  route  leads  by  the  Devil's  Paint- 
Pots,  Crystal  Spring,  pretty  Beaver  Lake,  and  along  a  mountain  base 
covered  with  blasted  pines.  Then  another  ascent,  until  the  altitude  is  so 
great  that  we  found  snow  in  considerable  patches  as  late  as  July  1st. 
But  besides  the  bubbling  springs  and  sputtering  sulphur  vats,  whose 
locations  were  marked  here  and  there  in  the  distance  by  their  streams  of 
vapor,  our  interest  was  chained  by  the  obsidian  cliffs  on  our  left,  a  black 
mountain  of  mineral  glass  that  sparkled  with  unnatural  lustre  because  of 
the  dusky  background,  while  strewed  about  were  broken  bits  that  made 
the  spot  resemble  the  remains  of  a  glass  factory. 

At  every  few  paces  we  startled  a  woodchuck  which,  satisfying  his 
curiosity  with  a  glance,  quickly  disappeared  among  the  stones.  Deer 
were  occasionally  seen  scampering  through  the  dead  pine  forest,  and  as 
we  reached  Beaver  Lake  two  solemn  blue  cranes  crossed  our  road  and 
tried  to  hide  their  brood  in  a  patch  of  tall  grass.  The  hoarse  "  konks" 
of  the  cock,  the  thin  "peeps "  of  the  young,  and  the  peculiar  motions  of 
the  hen  in  her  great  agitation,  were  extremely  amusing. 

Twenty  miles  from  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  Hotel  is  the  Norris 
Geyser  Basin,  where  we  were  entertained  with  our  first  view  of  the 
spouting  volcanoes  throwing  up  streams  of  hot  water  and  great  volumes 
of  vapor.  This  is  indeed  the  Devil's  Kitchen,  for  besides  the  hellish 
aspect  of  boiling  caldrons,  the  air  is  charged  with  those  sulphurous  fumes 
that  are  said  to  certainly  indicate  his  activity  and  immediate  presence. 
There  is  no  sign  of  soil  thereabout,  for  the  surface  is  incrusted  with  a  deep 
deposit  of  lime,  in  which  vents  occur  to  allow  the  escape  of  gases  and  to 
give  intimation  of  the  fiery  furnace  which  is  raging  beneath  our  feet. 
We  counted  eighteen  geysers  from  the  insecure  position  which  we  took; 
the  most  of  them,  however,  were  infantile  and  irregular  in  their  action, 
sending  up  a  shower  of  mud  at  occasional  intervals,  and  then  subsiding 
to  gather  fresh  force;  but  steam  poured  out  continually,  and  when  we 
moved  a  little  further  south,  the  roar  of  Steamboat  Geyser  fell  on  our 
ears.  It,  too,  acted  spasmodically;  but  every  few  minutes  there  was  a 
deep  rumbling,  followed  quickly  by  a  respiration,  deep,  powerful  and 
awful  as  the  rush  of  a  hurricane,  then  a  regurgitation,  as  if  the  earth  were 
swallowing  up  again  the  gas  and  steam  which  she  had  poured  out. 

On  the  brink  of  this  infernal  pit,  distributed  over  a  considerable 


NATURAL  CASTLE,  SLUICE-BOX  CAftON. 


HYMEN   TERRACES,   MAMMOTH   HOT  SPRINGS. 


CLEOPATRA   AND  JUPITER  TERRACES. 


JUPITER  TERRACE,  MAMMOTH  HOT  SPRINGS. 


256 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


space,  were  transparent  pools  of  water  of  the  most  brilliant  hues,  indigo,  orange,  carmine  and  emerald,  down  in  whose  depths  are  queer 
formations  of  petrifying  algae,  and  bubbles  that  look  like  pearls.  Near  this  beautifully  colored  and  transparent  spring  is  Mud  Geyser,  a 
basin  full  of  mush,  that  lazily  sputters  as  though  it  were  hung  over  a  slow  fire,  awaiting  the  spoon  of  a  tardy  diner.  There  is  another  mud 
volcano  near  Sulphur  Mountain,  the  crater  of  which  is  thirty  feet  deep  and  twenty-five  feet  in  diameter,  and  which  is  in  a  state  of  constant 
ebullition,  throwing  up  great  quantities  of  mud  and  steam  to  a  height  of  200  feet,  and  at  times  shaking  the  mountain  with  its  terrible 
convulsions.  Great  as  were  the  wonders  which  we  saw  in  Norris  Basin,  it  proved  to  be  only  the  threshold  of  the  colossal,  the  overpowering, 
the  awful  sights  which  we  were  yet  to 
behold. 

The  well  -  constructed  roadway 
leading  south  from  the  Norris  Geyser 
Basin  is  along  the  Gibbon  River,  by 
Johnson  Peak  and  Hot  Springs,  into 
Gibbon  Canon,  which,  however,  is  dis 
tinguished  for  its  gracefully  sloping 
sides  rather  than  for  its  cliffs  and  depths. 
A  little  way  to  the  west  the  canon 
becomes  wilder,  and  just  below  Beryl 
Spring  is  a  high  shelf  in  the  river,  over 
which  the  rushing  waters  plunge  in  a 
fall  of  ninety  feet.  But  the  descent  is 
gradual,  so  that  instead  of  torrential 
dash  the  waters,  after  breaking  on  the 
sharp  projections  of  the  rock  face,  slide 
into  the  river  below  and  then  speed  away 
to  join  Madison  River,  into  which  is 
drained  the  overflow  of  the  many  active 
geysers.  Though  not  precipitous,  Gib 
bon  Falls  is  a  beautiful  sheet  of  liquid 
crystals,  rolling  down  terraces  and 
ledges  exquisitely  colored  by  the  pres 
ence  of  different  minerals,  and  in  the 
sunlight  exhibiting  a  sheen  and  bril 
liance  almost  equal  to  that  of  Yellow 
stone  Falls.  The  charm  is  enhanced 


IN   THE   BELT   VALLEY,   NEAR  GREAT  FALLS. 


by  deep  coverts  of  pine  that  are  reflected  in  the  placidly-flowing  stream  above  and  below  the  falls,  and  by  the  castellated  bluffs  that  confine 
the  waters.  The  prospect  from  the  canon  walls  is  also  delightful,  for  towards  every  point  there  is  a  lovely  panorama  of  remarkable 
diversity,  including  mountains,  valleys,  parks,  rivers,  and  geysers,  the  latter  showing  themselves  many  miles  north  and  south,  while  steam 
from  boiling  caldrons  rolls  skywards  and  gathers  in  volume  until  immense  cumulus  clouds  are  formed  that  hang  ominously  above  the 
valley,  or  are  drifted  away  to  break  upon  the  sides  of  the  surrounding  mountains. 

Continuing  our  trip  southward  through  Gibbon  Canon  and  by  Gibbon  Falls,  whence  the  landscape  is  more  level,  we  came  at  length  to 


THE  GOLDEN   GATE,   YELLOWSTONE   NATIONAL   PARK. 

17 


258 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


Fire-Hole  Creek  and  the  I/>wer  Geyser  Basin.  We  were  now  in  the  region  of  giant  geysers,  in  the  visible  presence  of  the  most  terrible 
manifestations  of  nature.  In  this  pit  of  Acheron,  this  purgatory  of  ferment  and  explosion,  covering  an  area  of  forty  square  miles,  are 
almost  countless  geysers,  distributed  in  seven  groups,  as  if  banded  in  rivalry.  One  of  these  groups  is  near  the  center  of  the  basin  and  has 
one  hundred  orifices  that  spout  steam  and  water,  resembling  from  a  distance  an  extensive  manufactory.  The  most  interesting  feature  of 
the  Lower  Basin  is  Fountain  Geyser,  which  throws  a  column  of  water  twenty  feet  in  diameter  to  a  height  of  fifty  feet,  though  it  plays  only 
at  intervals  of  many  days.  Near-by  is 
Monument  Basin,  so  called  from  the  forma 
tions  of  every  conceivable  shape  which 
distinguish  it.  Evangeline  Geyser  is 
another  eruptive  volcano  that  throbs  and 
thumps  violently  when  in  action,  but  never 
casts  up  water  more  than  a  few  feet  above 
the  surface;  it  has  a  beautifully  scalloped 
rim,  with  small  bowls  of  exquisite  incrusta 
tions,  resembling  some  of  the  basins  in 
Mammoth  Terraces.  It  is  in  the  Upper 
Basin,  eight  miles  further  south,  however, 
that  the  greatest  of  geysers  are  to  be  seen, 
though  the  area  covered  is  scarcely  three 
square  miles,  and  the  springs  are  less 
numerous.  In  this  region,  very  near  to 
Fire-Hole  River,  is  a  spot  called  Hell's 
Half-Acre,  a  designation  peculiarly  appro 
priate  by  reason  of  the  purgatorial  wonders 
which  exist  therein,  and  the  activity  with 
which  old  Nick's  stokers  stir  the  subter 
ranean  furnaces.  The  largest  geyser  in 
this  fiery-haunted  district,  and  indeed 
much  the  largest  in  the  world,  is  Excelsior 
Geyser,  which  has  a  mouth  two  hundred 
feet  wide  and  has  been  known  to  cast  up  a 
flood  of  water  two  hundred  feet  high, 
carrying  with  it  large  stones  rent  from  the 
walls  of  its  Plutonian  caverns.  Excelsior 
displays  its  power  at  very  rare  intervals, 
sometimes  remaining  quiet  for  years;  but  to  our  surprise  and  joy  it  was  in  a  state  of  violent  eruption  during  our  visit,  and  thus  gave  us  an 
opportunity  not  only  to  see  but  to  photograph  its  immensity  and  awful  ness. 

The  most  interesting,  because  always  reliable,  is  Old  Faithful  Geyser,  which  throws  up  a  stream  of  hot  water  six  feet  in  diameter 
130  feet  high  every  fifty-seven  minutes,  and  sustains  the  flow  for  a  period  of  five  minutes.  The  amount  of  water  thus  discharged  every 
hour  is  100,000  gallons,  or  enough  to  supply  a  small  river.  The  Bee-hive,  located  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  blows  up  a  column  of 


LIBERTY   CAP  AND  MAMMOTH   HOT  SRRINGS   HOTEL. 


EXCELSIOR  GEYSER  IN  ACTION. 


26o 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


water  three  feet  in  diameter  to  a  height  of  250  feet,  and  plays,  generally,  for  fifteen  minutes,  but  at  intervals  of  twenty-four  hours.  The 
Giantess  is,  for  several  reasons,  the  most  interesting  of  all  the  700  geysers  within  National  Park.  One  may  approach  to  the  very  brink  of  her 
crater,  which  is  twenty  feet  across,  and  look  down  one  hundred  feet  into  her  hot  throat  and  hear  the  fierce  gurgling  of  water,  but  none  is 
visible  until  an  eruption  is  about  to  occur.  Then  the  sputtering  increases,  deep  groans  are  audible,  and  a  burst  of  steam  is  followed  by  a 
discharge  of  water  that  shoots  upward  in  a  succession  of  jets.  The  first  main  column  sent  up  reaches  a  height  of  sixty  feet,  through  which 
there  are  projected  small 
streams  a  foot  in  diameter  to 
a  height  of  250  feet,  thus  mak 
ing  a  magnificent  display  for 
twenty  minutes  which  nothing 
artificial  can  ever  rival. 

Giant  Geyser  is  less  pre 
tentious  than  the  Giantess, 
having  a  ragged  cone  that  is 
broken  on  one  side,  and 
through  a  vent  eight  feet  in 
diameter  a  discharge  is  made 
at  irregular  intervals,  when  a 
stream  of  water  is  tossed  to  a 
height  varying  from  90  to  200 
feet,  and  the  activity  some 
times  continues  for  two  or  three 
hours.  Other  geysers  that 
make  fine  displays  are  the  Saw 
mill,  Turban,  Grotto,  Punch- 
Bowl,  Soda,  Grand,  Fan,  and 
Riverside,  some  of  which  are 
never  quiet,  while  others  play 
only  occasionally.  It  has  been 
found  by  experiment  that  for 
eign  substances  thrown  into 
some  of  these  craters  create 
an  agitation  that  frequently 
results  in  eruptions;  the  intro- 
duction  of  soap  or  lye  is  in-  CUPID'S  CAVE>  MAMMOTH  HOT  SPRINGS. 

variably  attended  by  some  manifestation  even  in  the  quiet  geysers,  while  the  active  ones  are  by  this  means  made  to  flow  again  almost 
immediately  after  an  eruption  has  taken  place. 

After  two  days  spent  among  the  Upper  and  Lower  Basin  Geysers,  with  our  cameras  in  constant  service,  for  the  sun  shone  brightly, 
we  went  a  few  miles  further  down  to  Lone  Star  Geyser,  Hot  Springs,  and  to  the  high  lands  above  Grant's  Pass.  From  this  latter  point  of 
observation  a  magnificent  view  was  had  and  photographs  obtained  of  the  Great  Teton  Mountains  and  Snake  River  Valley,  which  fill  the 


262 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


distance  with  lines  of  hazy  grandeur.  Turning  then  towards  the  east  we  crossed  Norris  Pass  (8,350  feet  altitude),  and  after  twenty  miles 
of  travel  emerged  from  the  forest  and  reached  the  Thumb  of  Yellowstone  L,ake,  as  it  is  called.  This  magnificent  body  of  water  is  fifteen 
miles  wide  by  twenty-five  in 
length,  and  is  a  basin  of  won 
derful  beauty,  thus  described 
by  Mr.  Langford: 

' '  Secluded  amid  the  loftiest 
peaks  of  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
possessing  strange  peculiarities 
of  form  and  beauty,  this  watery 
solitude  is  one  of  the  most 
attractive  objects  in  the  world. 
Its  southern  shore,  indented 
with  long,  narrow  islets,  not 
unlike  the  frequent  fiords  of 
Iceland,  bears  testimony  to  the 
awful  upheaval  and  tremen 
dous  force  of  the  elements 
which  resulted  in  its  creation. 
Islands  of  emerald  hue  dot  its 
surface,  and  a  margin  of  spark 
ling  sands  forms  its  setting. 
The  winds,  compressed  in 
their  passage  through  the 
mountain  gorges,  lash  it  into 
a  sea  as  terrible  as  the  fretted 
ocean,  covering  it  with  foam." 

In  several  places  along  the 
shore,  and  even  projecting 
from  the  lake,  are  several  boil 
ing  hot  springs,  which  flowing 
with  clear  water  holding  lime 
in  solution,  pyramidal  cones  are 
thus  built  around  their  outlets, 
giving  to  them  the  appearance 


of  ant-mounds  when  seen  at  a 

distance.     Professor  Hayden  RUST]C 

startles  us  with  the  statement 

that  he  has  caught  fish  from  the  ice-cold  lake  while  standing  on  these  mounds,  and  dropping  them  into  the  craters  of  hot  water,  had  the 

novel  experience  of  cooking  the  fish  without  removing  them  from  the  hook. 


FISHING  FROM  YELLOWSTONE  LAKE,  AND  COOKING  FISH   IN  THE  CONE  OF  AN  ACTIVE  GEYSER. 


264 

Traveling  along  the  shores  of  Yellowstone 
Lake  for  a  distance  of  something  more  than 
thirty  miles,  we  came  to  Lake  Hotel,  and 
beyond  that  the  cliffs,  which,  however,  are 
scarcely  deserving  of  notice  when  brought 
into  comparison  with  the  Columnar  Cliffs  of 
the  Yellowstone  Canon,  soon  to  be  described. 
Continuing  our  circuit  of  the  park,  we  fol 
lowed  the  main  road,  running  along  Yellow 
stone  River,  past  Mud  Geyser  and  Sulphur 
Mountain,  until  we  found  accommodations  at 
Canon  Hotel,  the  center  of  another  district  of 
wonders,  where  we  tarried  for  three  days,  to 
employ  our  energies  in  taking  views  of  the 
extraordinarily  grand  and  awfully  imposing 
natural  objects  which  cluster  hereabout  in  the 
Canon  of  the  Yellowstone. 

A  short  distance  from  the  hotel  is  Mount 
Washington,  whose  massive  head  is  raised  to 
a  height  of  10,500  feet  above  the  sea;  but  so 
gradually  sloping  are  its  sides  that  an  easy 
roadway  has  been  made  to  the  summit,  which 
we  ascended  and  from  that  lofty  peak  sur 
veyed  the  vast  landscape  that  was  in  the  field 
of  vision ;  and  what  a  glorious  panorama  was 
there  presented !  We  were  indeed  upon  the 
topmost  ridge  of  the  Great  Continental  Divide, 
with  the  whole  world  apparently  at  our  feet. 
Towards  the  far  west  and  the  distant  south, 
as  the  range  makes  a  sharp  curve,  were  the 
high  and  snow-crested  peaks  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  among  which  we  readily  distin 
guished  the  majestic  Tetons,  upon  which  the 
sacred  fires  lighted  by  very  ancient  tribes  of 
Indians  are  said  to  be  still  burning.  To  the 
northwest  are  the  Madison  and  Gal  latin 
Mountains,  dropping  gracefully  towards  the 
east  until  they  form  what  appears  to  be  the 
western  walls  of  Yellowstone  Valley,  speckled 
with  its  hundreds  of  steam-vomiting  springs. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


BEAUTY  SPRING  FORMATION. 


GENERAL  VIEW  OF  THE  NORRIS  BASIN  GEYSERS. 


266 

The  mountainous  aspect  of  the  western  view 
has  its  counterpart  in  the  tumultuous  land 
scape  which  greets  us  on  the  east,  for  the 
horizon  is  broken,  and  the  blue  sky  pierced 
by  the  Shoshone  Range,  which  we  follow 
towards  the  north  as  far  as  Emigrant  Peak, 
as  it  thrusts  its  brazen  front  out  of  the 
Snowy  Range.  Still  further  west  we  per 
ceive  the  outlines  of  the  Stinking  and  Big 
Horn  River  Valleys,  running  in  a  north 
westerly  direction,  past  Fort  Custer  and 
the  tragic  Custer  battle-field,  until  they 
merge  into  the  Yellowstone  Valley,  two 
hundred  miles  from  the  park.  In  the  clear 
depths  of  the  far  southwest  we  perceive  a 
glitter  in  the  tenuous  atmosphere,  which 
our  glasses  discover  to  us  to  be  caused 
by  snow  on  the  Wind  River  Mountain 
peaks  reflecting  the  brilliant  sunlight. 
This  magnificent  range,  that  leaps  out  of 
the  plains  of  Wyoming,  and  after  running 
one  hundred  miles  disappears  again  in  the 
prairie,  attains  such  a  lofty  altitude  that 
the  Wind  River  Shoshone  tribe  regard  it 
as  the  crest  of  the  world.  And  they  have 
a  legend,  borrowed  from  the  Blackfeet,  that 
only  one  warrior  ever  reached  the  summits, 
from  which  he  was  permitted  to  look 
directly  into  the  happy  hunting  grounds 
and  survey  all  the  entrancing  beauties  of 
that  delectable  land  of  happy  spirits.  But 
if  the  distant  prospect  is  pleasing,  how 
much  more  delightful  is  the  wonder  valley 
that  lies  at  our  feet!  Looking  down  from 
our  exceeding  high  eminence,  we  behold 
with  amazement  the  Grand  Canon  of  the 
Yellowstone,  a  gigantic  gash  in  the  mount 
ains  twenty  miles  in  length,  and  watch  the 
play  of  enormous  waterfalls  that  swell  the 
mighty  chorus  of  nature. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


CRYSTAL  CASCADE,   129  FEET  HIGH. 


THE  CRATER  OF  CASTLE  GEYSER,   YELLOWSTONE  PARK. 


268 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


Descending  from  Mount  Washington,  we  proceeded  by  the  roadway  through  a  deep  forest  of  pines  until  presently  we  gained  the 
brink  of  a  frightful  chasm  nearly  2,000  feet  deep,  over  which  the  river  poured  in  tremendous  force  and  had  a  sheer  drop  of  140  feet.  This 
is  the  Upper  Falls,  and  a  grand  nature-picture  they  compose.  But  the  magnificence  of  the  scene  is  mightily  increased  less  than  half  a  mile 
below,  where  the  canon  walls  rapidly  contract  and  another  greater  precipice  has  been  formed.  Here  the  mad  waters  take  a  violent  tumble 
of  350  feet,  at  Lower  Falls,  and  are  tossed  up  again  in  a  mist  that  sometimes  beclouds  the  valley.  But  recovering  its  force,  the  river  plunges 
on  with  renewed  energy,  as  the  • 
descent  increases,  until  out  of 
the  gloomy  depths  it  again 
emerges  for  one  more  final  leap 
of  150  feet,  at  Tower  Falls. 

While   the   falls   are  ofl 
extraordinary    interest,  they  are 
not  more  than  the  worthy  acces 
sories  of  a  canon  which,  though 
not   the    greatest,   is  in  some 
respects  the  most  sublime  of  any  | 
on  the  American  continent.     Mr. 
Archibald  Geikie,  an  English  I 
scientist,  has  given  the  following 
admirable  description  of  Yellow 
stone  Canon,  admirable  not  only 
for  its  graphic  picturing,  but  also 
because    it  is    an    Englishman's 
confession   that   there    is   some 
thing  really  grand  in  America: 

"Scrambling  to  the  edge  of  | 
one  of  the  bastions  and  looking 
down,  we  could  see  the  river  far  I 
below,  dwarfed  to  a  mere  silver 
thread.      From   this   abyss   the 
crags  and  slopes  towered  up  in 
endless  variety  of  form,  and  with  | 
the  weirdest  mingling  of  colors. 
Much  of  the  rock,  especially  of' 
the  more  crumbling  slopes,  was  GIBBON  FALLS'  YELLOWSTONE  PARK. 

of  a  pale  sulphur-yellow.  Through  this  groundwork  harder  masses  of  dull  scarlet,  merging  into  purple  and  crimson,  rose  into  craggy 
knobs  and  pinnacles,  or  shot  up  in  sheer  vertical  walls.  In  the  sunlight  of  the  morning  the  place  is  a  blaze  of  strange  color,  such  as  one 
can  hardly  see  anywhere  save  in  the  crater  of  an  active  volcano.  But  as  the  day  wanes,  the  shades  of  evening,  sinking  gently  into  the 
depths,  blend  their  livid  tints  into  a  strange,  mysterious  gloom,  through  which  one  can  still  see  the  white  gleam  of  the  rushing  river  and 
hear  the  distant  murmur  of  its  flow.  Now  is  the  time  to  see  the  full  majesty  of  the  canon.  Perched  on  an  outstanding  crag,  one  can  look 


GRAND  CANON  OF  THE  YELLOWSTONE. 


270 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


down  the  ravine  and  mark  headland  behind  headland  mounting  out  of  the  gathering  shadows  and  catching  upon  their  scarred  fronts  of  red 
and  yellow  the  mellower  tints  of  the  sinking  sun.  And  above  all  lie  the  dark  folds  of  pine  sweeping  along  the  crests  of  the  precipices, 
which  they  crown  with  a  rim  of  green.  There  are  gorges  of  far  more  imposing  magnitude  in  the  Colorado  Basin,  but  for  dimensions  large 
enough  to  be  profoundly  striking,  yet  not  too  vast  to  be  taken  in  by  the  eye  at  once,  for  infinite  changes  of  picturesque  detail,  and  for 
brilliancy  and  endless  variety  of  coloring,  there  are  probably  few  scenes  in  the  world  more  impressive  than  the  Grand  Canon  of  the 
Yellowstone."  Along  the  twenty  miles  of  canon  where  the  walls  are  highest  they  have  been  carved  by  glacial  agencies  and  weather 
worn  into  many  curious  forms,  generally  columnar,  but  sometimes  presenting  the  appearance  of  spires,  domes,  turrets  and  crenelated 
battlements,  and  everywhere  the  matchless  colors  of  yellow,  red,  green,  and  many  tints  are  present.  After  passing  down  the  extreme 
length  of  the  canon,  we  took  the  less  = 
traveled  road  running  east  from 
Yancy's  Camp  and  visited  the  petrified 
forests;  and  here  we  began  to  compre 
hend  more  thoroughly  than  before  the 
mysteries  of  the  Yellowstone  Park 
Basin.  The  evidence  is  here  abundant 
that  in  the  remote  past  this  entire  region 
of  375  square  miles  was  a  pleasant  vale, 
where  a  luxuriant  forest  abounded,  and 
many  monster  animals,  long  since  ex 
tinct,  found  a  pleasant  abode.  Follow 
ing  this  period  of  delightful  natural 
conditions,  there  succeeded  a  flood  of 
ice  that  came  sweeping  with  almost 
unimaginable  force  from  the  north, 
grinding,  tearing  and  destroying  until 
the  region  was  denuded  and  the  very 
earth  furrowed  and  torn  into  the  won 
derful  disfigurements  which  we  now 
behold.  In  this  terrific  flood  the 
mountains  were  precipitated  and 
folded  upon  the  forests  and  buried 
with  the  monsCgt  animals  that  had 
sought  refuge  in  the  spots  which 
became  their  cemeteries.  In  the  rents  thus  made  the  grinding  ice  flowed  until  it  reached  the  internal  furnace  of  the  world,  which  generating 
gases  and  steam,  explosions  followed  that  tore  wider  the  earth's  womb  and  made  the  region  a  fiery  cave.  Into  the  devious  caverns  thus  formed 
water  from  underground  rivers  continues  to  flow,  over  subterranean  fires  that  convert  it  into  steam,  and  thus  at  the  many  vents  we  observe 
the  ever  active,  though  constantly  waning,  energies  of  the  volcano. 

But  there  have  been  two  glacial  drifts  over  a  great  part  of  North  America,  and  the  second  ice-flood  scoured  the  earth  in  such  manner 
as  to  frequently  uncover  the  forests  and  animal  remains  that  were  buried  by  the  first  great  deluge.  It  is  in  the  region  of  the  Petrified  and 
Fossil  Forests  that  we  note  the  evidence  of  the  truth  of  this  theory;  not  only  in  Yellowstone  Park,  but  in  the  Bad  Lands  of  Dakota,  the 


YELLOWSTONE   RIVER,   NEAI 


GEYSER. 


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BISCUIT  BAShN. 
18 


274 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


dry  lake  basins  of  the  Southwest  and,  in  fact,  in  nearly  every  State  of  the  Union.  But  in  Yellowstone  Park  the  remains  of  petrified  trees 
are  particularly  numerous,  and  it  is  here  that  we  observe  the  most  beautiful  specimens  of  chalcedony  lying  about  in  promiscuous  profusion, 
like  the  niins  of  some  magnificent  palace.  Every  tree  here,  overwhelmed  by  the  ice-flood,  became,  in  a  thousand  years  thereafter,  a  pillar 
of  the  most  exquisite  beauty,  and  we  now  examine  them  with  wondering  curiosity,  then  convert  them  into  articles  of  use  and  adornment. 
The  same  chemical  action  which  changed  the  forests  of  this  region  into  gem-like  stone,  also  preserved  the  bones  of  many  huge 
creatures  which  met  their  death  sud 
denly  in  this  volcanic  basin.  Here  and 
there  specimen  relics  of  gigantic  ani 
mals  may  be  found  in  the  fossil  district 
east  of  Yellowstone  River,  though  they 
are  becoming  scarce  because  of  the 
immense  quantity  that  has  been  carried 
away  by  scientific  bone  collectors  and 
the  admirers  of  curious  things  during 
the  several  years  that  the  park  has  been 
a  popular  resort. 

In  this  same  district  there  is  a  de 
pression  or  basin,  about  three  hundred 
yards  in  diameter,  which  has  received 
the  title  of  Death  Valley,  a  designation 
that  is  appropriately  applied  because  it 
is  not  only  an  ossuary,  where  the  bones 
of  many  animals  lie  about  in  promiscu 
ous  profusion,  but  such  noxious  gases 
emanate  from  the  basin  that  it  is  repre 
sented  as  a  place  where  no  creature  can 
survive  the  exhalations  for  more  than 
a  few  minutes. 

Examination  of  the  remains  found 
therein  reveals  the  fact  that  bears, 
deer,  wolves,  a  mountain  lion,  and 
numerous  small  animals  have  died  of 
asphyxiation  in  trying  to  pass  over  the 
accursed  ground.  But  as  these  sulphur 
ous  gases  have  the  power  to  kill,  they 
have  also,  to  a  certain  extent,  the  virtue  to  preserve,  the  bodies  of  creatures  thus  destroyed  exhibiting  slight  evidences  of  decay  for  a  month 
or  more  after  death.  On  account  of  the  danger  attending  a  critical  investigation  of  this  noxious  plague-spot,  those  who  have  visited  the 
place  have  been  compelled  to  exercise  great  caution,  and  to  use  field-glasses  in  making  their  examinations.  One  rash  person  is  known  to 
have  attempted  a  passage  of  the  basin,  but  he  was  unable  to  advance  more  than  twenty  yards,  and  had  he  not  retained  the  presence  of  mind 
to  hold  his  breath,  when  he  found  himself  affected  by  the  gas,  escape  from  certain  death  would  hardly  have  been  possible.  No  scientific 


CRATER  OF  OBLONG  GEYSER. 


BA5ALTIC  CANON   OF   THE   YELLOWSTONE. 


LIMESTONE  PINNACLES  IN  BIG  HORN  RIVER  CAfiON. 


A   RANCH   ON   THE    LITTLE   MISSOURI    RIVER. 


278 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


investigator  has  ever  visited  the  spot,  so  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  leain,  and  reports  of  the  deadly  exhalations  which  characterize  it 
therefore  come  from  the  few  persons  who  have  approached  the  place  out  of  curiosity.  It  is  also,  and  fortunately,  no  doubt,  very  difficult  to 
reach,  that  portion  of  the  Park  being 
almost  inaccessible  by  reason  of  the 
rugged  topography,  the  jagged  stones 
and  almost  impassable  crevices  which 
surround  it.  No  roads  have  been 
surveyed  in  the  locality,  and  only  the 
intrepid,  venturous  and  agile  can  reach 
the  malignant  basin,  at  the  expense  of 
great  effort  and  endurance;  for  it  is 
easier  to  climb  the  Tetons  than  to  sur 
mount  the  grim  barriers  which  guard 
Death  Valley.  Assuming  that  the 
reports  made  by  several  persons  who 
claim  to  have  visited  the  spot  are  true, 
and  which  there  is  not  lacking  reason 
to  believe,  an  explanation  of  its  deadly 
character  is  not  difficult  to  give,  be 
cause  similar  conditions,  though  in 
much  lesser  degree,  are  found  in  many 
localities  within  the  Park. 

The  geysers,  such  as  are  now 
active,  are  confined  within  a  district 
whose  radius  does  not  exceed  twenty- 
five  miles,  but  there  are  imquestionable 
evidences  that  they  were  distributed 
over  a  much  greater  area  before  the 
last  glacial  epoch.  Indeed,  appear 
ances  indicate  that  at  one  time,  in  the 
very  remote  past,  the  whole  present 
extent  of  the  Park  was  occupied  by 
either  a  sea  of  fire  or  a  tremendous 
cluster  of  volcanoes.  When  the  gla 
cial  catastrophe  occurred  the  mount 
ains  on  the  north,  whence  the  ice-flood 
descended,  were  pushed  forward  and 
deposited  in  the  fiery  basin.  By  this 


GROTTO  GEYSER. 


action  the  formerly  mountainous  lands  to  the  north  were  leveled  and  became  vast  plains,  as  we  now  find  them.    The  caldron  of  fiery  activity 
was  filled  up  by  the  material  thus  deposited,  but  confinement  of  the  gases,  which  were  being  constantly  generated,  caused  repeated  explosions, 


- 


HARVEST  SCENE  ON   DALRYMPLE'S  FARM,   NORTH   DAKOTA. 


280 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


the  results  of  which  we  find  in  the  canons  that  ramify  the  district.  It  will  not  fail  to  escape  the  notice  of  the  geologist  that  of  the  many 
rivers  and  streams  that  penetrate  the  Park,  not  one  of  them  flows  from  the  north,  though  immediately  south  of  the  Park  the  Snake  River 
takes  its  rise,  and  has  cut  a  way  through  the  Teton  Range  that  must  have  once  opposed  its  passage.  These  mountains,  as  well  as  other 
ranges  in  the  vicinity,  are  a  part  of  the  residue  carried  down  by  the  glacial  flood,  and  thus  changed  the  slope,  which  was  formerly  towards 
the  south,  to  a  contrary  direction. 
Several  new  basins  were  created  by 
this  enormous  deposition,  for  it  was 
impossible,  by  reason  of  the  erup 
tions  caused  by  escaping  gases,  that 
the  deposit  should  show  equal  dis 
tribution.  One  of  these  basins  is 
Death  Valley,  which,  originally  a 
geyser  or  volcano,  was  suppressed 
by  the  glacial  deposit,  though  the 
furnace  which  fed  it  was  not  extin 
guished.  The  condition  is  there 
fore  like  that  of  a  charcoal  kiln, 
which,  burning  beneath  a  covering 
of  earth,  still  allows  the  smoke  and 
gases  to  escape.  But  since  the 
geysers  are  not  produced  by  the 
consumption  of  combustible  mate 
rial,  but  by  chemical  decomposi 
tion,  though  the  action  of  fire  and 
•water,  no  smoke  is  created  and  thus 
none  is  seen  escaping  from  the 
valley;  but  the  deadly  gases,  all  the 
more  poisonous  because  of  their 
temporary  confinement,  are  con 
stantly  exuding  through  the  earth- 
covering,  having  no  connection 
with  any  active  geyser  through 
whose  vent  they  might  escape. 

Yellowstone  Park  has  many 
natural  curiosities  which  entitle  it 
to  rank  as  the  greatest  museum  of 
wonders  in  the  world;  but  it  is  to 
be  doubted  if  the  geysers,  forma 
tions  of  silica,  and  awe-compelling 
canons  can  equal  the  marvel  of  LONE  STAR  GEYSER  CONE. 


A   HARVEST-FIELD   IN   DAKOTA. 


282 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


Death  Valley  and  the  evidence  which  it  supports  of  the  glacial 
deluge  that  converted  a  sea  of  fire  into  a  charmingly  diversified 
wonderland.  There  is  a  grim  connection  between  the  fossil  district 
in  which  the  bones  of  so  many  extinct  animals  have  been  found  so 
plentifully,  and  Death  Valley,  in  which  the  remains  of  existent 
creatures  attest  the  continued  destructive  result  of  the  ice-flood. 
Truly,  the  ways  of  Providence  are  ways  of  mystery;  and  the  more 
we  contemplate  them  to  satisfy  the  ambition  of  curiosity,  the  more 
we  realize  the  incomprehensibility  of  the  infinite,  and  that  every 
advance  step  is  an  interrogation  point  in  our  lives. 

After  making  an  examination  of  the  petrified  and  fossil  forests, 


THE  BLACK  GROWLER  GEYSER. 


LITTLE  FIRE-HOLE  FALLS. 


AN  ENCAMPMENT  OF  SIOUX  INDIANS,  DAKOTA. 


284 

we  retraced  our  way  and  returned  to  Mam 
moth  Hot  Springs  Hotel  by  the  road  that 
leads  to  Clark's  Fork  Mines,  a  route  which 
I  cannot  recommend  to  dyspeptics,  for  it  is 
worse  than  a  jolting  stool.  A  few  hours' 
stop  at  the  hotel  to  arrange  our  baggage, 
and  we  resumed  our  journey  eastward  over 
the  Northern  Pacific,  which  thereafter  runs 
through  the  apparently  boundless  plains  of 
North  Dakota.  The  road  follows  the  Yel 
lowstone  from  Livingstone  to  Glendive,  a 
distance  of  175  miles,  but  there  is  little  di 
versity  in  the  landscape  on  the  immediate 
line.  Big  Horn  River  intersects  the  road  at 
Custer  City,  below  which  town,  twenty  miles, 
on  the  river,  is  Fort  Custer;  and  the  tragic 
field  upon  which  Custer  and  his  entire  com 
mand  were  slaughtered  by  the  Sioux  Indians 
is  only  twenty-five  miles  southeast  of  the 
fort.  Everything  hereabout  appears  to  be 
a  rueful  reminder  of  that  terrible  15th  of 
July,  1876,  for  the  name  of  Custer  greets  us 
everywhere  we  turn  until  we  get  beyond 
Miles  City.  Between  this  latter  point  and 
the  Missouri  River  are  the  Bad  Lands, 
extending  over  a  large  tract  of  country  that 
includes  both  Montana  and  Dakota,  but  the 
formations,  while  curious,  are  not  nearly  so 
wonderful  as  those  in  Wyoming,  described 
in  an  earlier  chapter.  Although  the 
mounds,  monuments  and  pillars  of  earth  are 
less  lofty,  the  district  acquires  a  particular 
interest  from  the  fact  that  interspersed  among 
the  earthen  columns  are  the  erect  bodies  of 
petrified  trees,  scarcely  distinguishable,  at  a 
little  distance,  however,  from  the  fantastic 
ally  eroded  monoliths  that  are  disposed  like 
skirmishers  over  the  otherwise  level  plain. 
These  so-called  Bad  Lands,  which  reappear 
also  in  South  Dakota,  are  not  what  the  term 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


KEPLER'S  CASCADE,  FIRE-HOLE   RIVER. 


BLACKFEET   INDIAN   CAMP. 


286 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


would  seem  to  signify  for  the  land  is  not  lacking  in  fertility,  being  frequently  rich  with  loam,  though  more  often  extremely  sandy  or  covered 
with  soft  sandstones  that  have  been  worn  until  they  are  round  as  cannon-balls.  Indeed,  Cannon-Ball  River,  which  flows  into  the  Missouri 
sixty  miles  south  of  Bismark, 
takes  its  name  from  the  nu 
merous  round  sandstones  that 
are  scattered  along  its  banks. 
Five  miles  below  is  Standing 
Rock  Agency  of  the  Sioux, 
so  called  from  a  sandstone 
which  stands  some  three  feet 
tall,  and  by  the  Sioux  is  be 
lieved  to  be  a  petrified  squaw. 
Thus  for  a  considerable  dis 
tance  north  and  south,  as  well 
as  east  and  west,  peculiar  for 
mations  characteristic  of  the 
Bad  Lands  are  met  with,  fur 
nishing  proof  that  this  area 
was  once  a  forest,  later  a  great 
salt  sea,  and  then  a  plain, 
each  representing  a  long 
period  of  time. 

When  we  pass  James 
town,  coming  east,  we  enter 
the  wheat  belt  of  Dakota  and 
pass  fields  of  growing  grain 
like  that  of  Dalrymple's, 
which  is  fifty  thousand  acres 
in  extent.  Here  we  come  in 
contact  with  farming  on  a 
gigantic  scale,  and  see  the 
application  of  steam,  not  only 
for  threshing,  but  for  plow 
ing,  hauling  and  various  other 
uses  in  which  horses  are  gen 
erally  employed. 

Thence   on   to   Minne- 


GIANT,   CATFISH,   AND   YOUNG  FAITHFUL  CONES. 


apolis  the  route  is  through  a  level  country,  crossing  the  Red  River  of  the  North  at  Fargo,  and  by  many  pretty  lakes  to  Brainard,  where  the 
road  branches,  one  division  leading  to  Duluth,  and  the  other  taking  a  southwest  course  to  St.  Paul. 


PRAIRIE   HOME   OF   A  CREE   INDIAN,   NORTHERN   MINNESOTA. 


FERRY   ACROSS  RED   RIVER  OF  THE   NORTH,   NEAR  FARGO,   NORTH   DAKOTA. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

AMONG  THE  WONDERS  OF  THE  BLACK  HILLS. 


'OON  after  reaching  St.  Paul  our  party  divided,  two  of  our  photographers  being  instructed  to  take  views  of  the  falls,  lakes  and  river- 
scenery  thereabouts,  while  the  other  set  out  with  the  camera  car,  over  the  Chicago,  St.  Paul  and  Omaha  Railroad,  to  Sioux  City, 
and  thence  by  the  Fremont,  Elkhorn  and  Missouri  Valley  Railroad  to  Deadwood.  There  is  nothing  of  particular  interest  to 
entertain  the  traveler  in  search  of  scenic  wonders  until  Iowa  is  crossed  and  we  reach  the  Big  Sioux  River;  nor  is  the  immediate 
district  about  Sioux  City  one  affording  scenery  of  much  importance.  But  at  Dell  Rapids,  something  more  than  one  hundred  miles 
north,  we  come  in  contact  with  some  surprises  which  are  without  example,  save  in  the  Wisconsin  River,  hereafter  to  be  described. 
The  town  derives  its  name  from  the  remarkable  freaks  of  nature  displayed  along  the  river-banks,  and  known  as  the  Dells,  and  which  are 

recognized  as  the  safety-valves  of  the  immense 

water-power  at  Dell  Rapids.    This  picturesque 

stretch  of  fantastic  bluffs  and  eccentric  stream 

is  thus  described  by  a   writer  who  recently 

made  the  passage  in  a  canoe  from  Dell  Rapids 

to  Sioux  Falls. 

"Beginning  at  a  break  in  the  Big  Sioux 

River,  on  the  south  bank,  opposite  the  town, 

at  first  the  Dells  present  the  appearance  of  a 

rivulet  flowing  out  of  the  main  body  of  water, 

taking  a  circuitous  direction  to  re-unite  with 

the   parent   stream    some   two   and   one-half 

miles  further  along  its  eccentric  course.     Yet 

only  in  the  highest  stages  of  its  waters  does 

the  Sioux  overflow  the  dam  across  the  aperture 

between  itself  and  the  Dells,  and  it  becomes 

instantly  apparent  that  it  is  not  from  the  river 

that  this   peculiar   branch,  which   is   not  a 

branch,  obtains  its  water  supply.     Investiga 
tion   determines   that   the    Dells   are  fed  by 

invisible  springs,  indefinite   in  number   and 

indefinable    in   volume,    which  maintain   in 

the   bed   of   this  curious  stream  an  average 

depth  of  about  eleven  feet,  although  a  much 

greater  depth  is  found  in  various  places.     As 


DELLS  OF  SIOUX   RIVER. 


LOVER'S  LEAP,   DELLS  OF  THE  SIOUX. 


you  progress  along  the  banks  of  the  Dells,  you  notice  increasing  accumulations  of  the  well-known  Big  Sioux  quartzite,  in  its  dull  red  and 
leaden  colors;  the  banks  grow  more  and  more  precipitous;  the  rocks  are  heaped  strata  upon  strata  in  immeasurable  quantities,  and  take  on 
fantastic  shapes  and  unusual  formations;  the  Dells  deepen  into  a  gorge,  far  down  into  the  bottom  of  which  the  waters,  taking  their  hues 
289  19 


290 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


from  the  sky  above  them,  creep  along  in  almost  imperceptible  ripples.  Overhead,  pile  on  pile,  hangs  the  nigged  quartzite,  shelving  out 
over  the  liquid  blue  beneath;  in  the  sides  of  the  rocky  banks  innumerable  swallows  build  their  nests,  while  above  them  shrubbery  clings 
and  cacti  grow,  seemingly  nurtured  in  a  soil  of  adamant.  Perhaps  the  highest  perpendicular  point,  from  the  summits  of  the  overhanging 
rocks  to  the  waters  below,  is  very  nearly  forty-five  feet;  but  so  precipitous  is  the  descent,  and  so  grotesquely  wild  the  aspect,  that  it  is  no 
wonder  the  majority  of  tourists  report  the  height  much  greater.  Descending  a  fissure,  gazing  down  which  descent  seemed  impossible,  the 
writer  pushed  off  in  a  rude  canoe  and  paddled  for  some  distance  under  the  overshadowing  banks.  Here,  indeed,  looking  upward,  the 
impression  was  intensified,  for  upheavals  had  torn  these  banks  apart  and  given  to  them,  with  whimsical  violence,  their  strangely  weird 
formations."  Beyond  Sioux  City  the  country  is  monotonously  level  until,  far  in  Nebraska,  the  road  rushes  into  Elkhorn  Caiion  and  passes 

for   a   considerable   distance    between   walls 

sometimes  vertical,  but  never  very  high,  and 

which    lack  the  grandeur  and  coloring  that 

characterize   those   of  mountain  streams. 

Emerging  from  Elkhorn  Canon,  the  road  runs 

for  a  long   distance   through    the    Niobrara 

Valley,  though  never  close  to  that  stream, 

imtil  it  crosses  the  river  at  Valentine.     The 

southern  line  of  South  Dakota  lies  only  a  few 

miles  north,  and   from  Valentine   west   the 

road  approaches  to  within  twenty-five  miles 

of  the  Rose-Bud  and  Pine  Ridge  Reservations, 

and  of  Wounded  Knee,  the  scene  of  the  last 

Indian   insurrection,    and  of  Pine  Ridge 

Agency,    where    Sitting    Bull    was    killed. 

Crossing  White  River  at  Dakota  Junction,  the 

road  turns  due  north,  and  passing  out  of  the 

plains  of   Nebraska   enters  the  mountainous 

country  known  as  the  Black  Hills,  at  Buffalo 

Gap.     On  the  east  are  the  Mauvais  Terres, 

or  Bad  Lands  of  South  Dakota,  which  extend 

west  to  the  South  Fork  of  Cheyenne  River, 

while  towards  the  west  is  the  rugous,  rough 

and  riotous  district  known  as  the  Black  Hills. 
THE  DEV.L'S  NOTCH,  DELLS  OF  THE  SIOUX.    At    Buffalo    Gap    connection    is    made    with 


DANGER  ROCK,   DELLS  OF  THE   SIOUX. 


a  narrow-gauge  spur  of  the  main  line  of  road,  which  runs  southwesterly  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles  and  terminates  at  the  Minnekahta,  or 
Hot  Springs.  In  making  this  run  we  pass  through  a  mighty  gorge  whose  age-swept  and  vertical  walls  climb  up,  stratum  upon  stratum,  to 
a  height  of  several  hundred  feet,  and  then  break  into  spear- pointed  peaks,  called  the  "Needles."  This  is  Fall  River  Caiion,  noted  for  its 
spires,  parti-colored  walls,  and  beautiful  waterfalls  that  leap  from  a  hundred  brinks  into  the  arms  of  the  rushing  river.  That  this  is  a  land 
of  gold  is  not  better  proved  by  the  fact  that  the  Black  Hills  were  purchased  of  the  Sioux  by  the  Government  in  1876,  at  the  enormous  price 
of  $70,000,000  and  support  of  the  Indians  for  seven  generations,  than  that  the  output  of  the  several  gold  and  silver  mines  of  the  district 
exceeds  $100,000,000  ;  verily,  a  richer  land  than  Ophir. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

Turning  back,  we  resumed  our  journey  northward  over  the  Elkhorn  road,  and  passed  through  many  miles  of  the  most  magnificent 
scenery  to  be  found  anywhere  on  the  American  Continent.  The  entire  region  is  mountain  infested,  and  to  penetrate  it  by  rail  the  road  is 
compelled  to  follow  the  almost  interminable  sinuosities  of  creeks  and  broken  valleys,  with  tunnels  every  few  miles,  and  bridges  quite  as 
frequent.  Through  Fan-Tail  Gulch  the  road  winds  in  tortuous  ways  that  sometimes  draw  grotesque  figures,  and  in  one  place  the  road-bed 
is  of  the  exact  shape  of  a  horseshoe,  while  on  both  sides  of  Elk  Creek  Canon  there  are  butting  and  pinnacled  walls  that  suggest  ruins  of 
gigantic  cathedrals,  or  monu 
ments  in  a  graveyard  of  Titans. 
Everywhere  we  turn  there  is 
the  carving  and  hieroglyphic 
writing  of  the  glacier  and  the 
volcano  that  in  some  age 
wrestled  with  the  rocks  and  left 
them  in  a  confusion  of  whimsi 
cal  forms.  Particularly  is  this 
true  of  Elk  Creek  Canon,  which 
presents  many  curious  bluffs 
and  isolated  shafts  of  stone, 
worn  into  monoliths  of  oddity 
by  wind  and  water. 

After  passing  Piedmont  the 
region  is  less  rugged  and  gradu 
ally  falls  away  into  a  plain, 
dotted  here  and  there  with 
buttes  of  clay,  some  of  them 
reaching  a  height  of  fifty  feet, 
and  in  the  distance  resembling 
large  buildings.  Fort  Meade 
and  Bear  Butte  are  on  the  right 
as  we  make  a  turn  towards  the 
west,  then  run  south,  until  we 
enter  Deadwood,  which  lies  at 
the  gnarled  and  bunioned  feet 
of  the  Hills.  We  have  scarcely 

been  out  of  a  canon  since  leav 
es     .'  ,  ,   T,     A  CABINET  GORGE,   DELLS  OF  THE  SIOUX   RIVER. 
ing  Hot  Springs,  but  at  Dead- 
wood  the  granite  walls  that  have  become  so  familiar  slope  away  until  they  become  hills  of  slate  and  red  clay,  which  have  been  denuded  of 
their  vestures  of  pine  to  supply  fuel  for  the  reduction  mills.    Through  one  of  the  last  rifts  in  the  walls  that  confine  the  track  of  the  railroad 
a  glimpse  of  Central  City  is  obtained,  several  miles  away,  and  a  few  minutes  later  we  roll  into  the  great  mining  town  that  is  celebrated  for 
its  wealth,  energy,  golden  prospects,  and  as  being  the  place  where  Wild  Bill  was  killed,  and  Calamity  Jane  broke  the  biggest  faro  bank  in 
the  settlement.     Though  Deadwood  is  only  sixteen  years  old,  few  cities  have  passed  through  so  many  terrible  vicissitudes.     In  1876  the 


NEEDLE   POINTS,   NEAR   HARNEY'S   PEAK,   BLACK   HILLS. 


294 

gold  prospectors  in  the  Hills  were  harried 
by  Indians;  then  when  the  district  was 
purchased  and  active  settlement  began, 
gamblers  and  shady  women  nocked  to  the 
place,  considering  that  every  honest  per 
son  was  legitimate  prey,  until  the  vigi 
lantes  restored  order.  Building  was  rapid, 
so  that  three  years  after  the  miners  staked 
their  first  claims  in  the  Hills,  Deadwood 
had  become  a  place  of  5,000  inhabitants 
and  was  rapidly  flowering  into  a  great 
city.  Then  a  dreadful  fire  broke  out, 
which  ravaged  and  swept  the  town,  leav 
ing  scarcely  a  house  uninjured,  and 
nearly  every  citizen  homeless.  The  loss 
was  estimated  at  $1,500,000,  but  in  its 
effects  the  loss  was  probably  twice  that 
amount.  But  with  that  courageous  energy 
which  characterizes  western  settlements, 
the  people  went  to  work  to  rebuild  before 
even  the  embers  had  turned  to  ashes,  and 
by  1883,  Deadwood  was  a  second  time 
showing  a  metropolitan  bud.  She  had 
emerged  from  the  crucible,  but  fate  had 
resolved  that  she  should  be  subjected  to 
another  ordeal.  Accordingly,  the  elements 
gathered  their  forces  all  around  upon  the 
mountains  and  in  the  gulches.  For  weeks 
unprecedented  snow  -  storms  bombarded 
the  country  and  covered  it  to  an  extraordi 
nary  depth.  Then  the  windows  of  heaven 
were  opened  and  the  rain  descended.  Day 
and  night  a  terrific  down-pour  continued, 
followed  directly  by  a  flood  that  struck 
the  town  from  every  direction,  and  with 
irresistible  might  washed  nearly  every 
building  from  its  foundation,  leaving  even 
small  opportunity  for  the  unhappy  people 
to  escape  to  the  hills.  But  though  the 
town  was  twice  destroyed,  the  citizens 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


CATHEDRAL   ROCK,   IN   ELK  CREEK   CANON,   BLACK   HILLS. 


— 
X 

0 

OQ 


- 
O. 


LU 

z 


X 
LL 

o 


D 

t/3 


296 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


lost  none  of  their  pluck,  and  before  the  cruel  waters  were  fully  assuaged  they  resumed  the  work  of  building  again  on  the  same  twice  stricken 
site,  and  have  so  continued  until  Deadwood  is  fortified  against  calamity  and  is  moving  on  at  the  head  of  the  procession,  with  colors  flying 
and  drums  beating,  the  capital  city  of  a  capital  country. 

There  are  many  interesting  points  within  a  few  miles  of  Deadwood;  for  aside  from  the  rugged  character  of  the  scenery,  in  the  near  vicinity 
are  several  of  the  largest  wealth- 
producing  mines  in  the  world. 
The  trip  to  Bald  Mountain  over 
the  Fremont,  Elkhorn  and  Mis 
souri  Valley  narrow-gauge  Road 
is  one  filled  with  pleasure  and 
surprise.  The  way  is  almost 
incomparably  winding,  and  ex 
hibits  remarkable  examples  of 
engineering  skill  and  enormous 
investment.  In  several  places 
the  grade  is  four  hundred  and 
thirty  feet  to  the  mile,  while 
the  curves  are  said  to  be  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  radius. 
Passing  up  such  grades  and 
around  such  sharp  turns,  it  is  not 
sosurprisingthatthetrainshould 
in  one  minute  be  running  along 
lofty  benches,  apparently  in 
mid-air,  over  dizzy  trestles,  and 
in  the  next  few  moments  be 
scurrying  through  a  valley  so 
deep  that  sunlight  rarely  ever 
visits  it.  North  of  Bald  Mount 
ain,  and  reached  by  a  stage- 
line,  are  Crow  Peak,  Round-Top 
Mountain,  and  the  town  of 
Spearfish.  This  latter  place  is 
located  on  a  creek  of  the  same 
name  that  goes  tumbling 
through  a  deep  canon  with  ver 
tical,  serrated  walls,  and  diver 
sified  by  roaring  cascades  and  far-leaping  waterfalls.  Returning  to  Deadwood,  we  took  the  Burlington  and  Missouri  River  Railroad  south 
through  another  long  stretch  of  turbulent  scenery,  of  rushing  creeks,  darksome  gorges,  under  the  shadows  of  lofty  mountains,  and  by  curious 
formations.  Custer  Peak  is  only  two  or  three  miles  east  of  the  road,  and  it  is  the  center  of  a  riotous  region  of  broken  stone,  each  one  a  very 


VIEW  OF   BEAR   BUTTE,   AT  A   DISTANCE  OF   FORTY-SIX   MILES  FROM   THE   ROAD,   IN  FAN-TAIL  GULCH. 


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298 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


mountain  of  itself.  Below,  we  strike  Spring  Creek,  and  go  bowling  along  the  valley  cut  out  of  the  hills  by  that  stream,  until  Harney's  Peak 
breaks  into  view,  five  miles  to  the  east,  and  lifts  its  piney  crest  into  the  azure  depths  8,000  feet.  Hereabout  are  not  only  waterfalls, 
canons,  creeks,  and  huge  bowlders  dashed  down  from  frost-riven  peaks,  for  besides  gold  and  silver,  the  region  is  said  to  abound  with  tin, 
that  peculiarly  elusive  mineral 
which,  though  often  found, 
seems  to  always  dematerialize 
after  the  campaign  is  over;  an 
though  millions  have  been  spent 
in  developing  the  tin  mines 
near  Harney,  the  product  has 
not  yet  paid  the  expense  of 
mining.  Three  miles  south  of 
the  peak  are  the  Needles,  bold- 
jutting  pinnacles  of  sandstone 
that  stand  high  above  the  bed 
of  Squaw  Creek  and  point  their 
fingers  toward  the  sky.  Buck- 
horn  Mountain  stands  very 
near  the  west  side  of  the  road, 
and  close  to  its  base  reposes  the 
town  of  Custer,  the  center  of  a 
broken  district  called  Custer 
Park,  famous  for  its  scenery  of 
river,  tumultuary  and  distorted 
rocks  over  which  a  weasel  can 
hardly  make  its  way.  A  little 
further  south  we  enter  Red 
Canon  Creek,  where  the  same 
general  character  of  eroded  and 
disrupted  rocks  continues,  with 
occasional  exhibitions  of  oddity 
exceeding  those  previously  seen 
in  the  Hills.  Evidently  some 
terrific  force  has  been  at  work 
in  this  uncanny  region,  for  here 
and  there  our  wonder  is  excited 
by  extraordinary  instances  of 
displacement.  Beecher  Rocks 
are  comicalities  done  in  stone, 
but  Wedge  Rock  must  wear  the  THE  HORSESHOE  IN  ELK  CREEK  CANON. 


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garland  as  the  most  astounding 
example  of  natural  tumult  in 
this  wonder-region,  and  which 
can  be  better  understood  by  the 
accompanying  illustration,  than 
explained  by  the  bare  use  of 
words. 

But  the  country  is  not  only 
rugged  and  mountain-spurred; 
it  possesses  curiosities  even 
greater  beneath  the  surface  than 
those  which  diversify  the  sun- 
kissed  landscape  over  which 
we  have  just  passed.  On  Elk 
Creek,  and  entered  from  the 
canon  wall,  is  Keith's  Crystal 
Cave,  a  colossal  rent  in  the 
mountain  bowels,  with  passages 
fifteen  miles  in  length.  It  is 
beautifully  chambered,  from 
which  depend  the  most  exquisite 
crystallizations  in  the  form  of 
stalactites  and  stalagmites  that 
reflect  the  torchlight  in  glorious 
colors,  dancing  from  column  of 
onyx  to  pools  of  pellucid  water. 

But  a  more  remarkable  cave 
than  Keith's  is  found  a  little 
way  west  of  Custer,  and  twelve 
miles  north  of  Hot  Springs. 
This  marvelous  natural  excava 
tion  is  ramified  by  many  pas 
sages  which  have  been  explored 
for  a  distance  of  sixty-five  miles, 
and  the  end  is  not  yet.  On 
account  of  the  peculiar  respira 
tion  of  the  cave,  the  air  at  one 
time  rushing  in  with  great  veloc 
ity  and  again  being  expelled 
with  equal  force,  it  is  called 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


BEECHER  ROCKS,   NEAR  CUSTER  CITY. 


A  CHAMBER   IN  CRYSTAL  CAVE,   BLACK   HILLS. 


302 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


the  Wind  Cave;  and  no  better  name  can  be  bestowed,  for  the  cause  of  this  inrushing  and  regurgitation  of  air  seems  to  be  beyond  ascertain 
ment.  Like  its  more  northerly  cousin,  Wind  Cave  is  chambered  and  adorned  with  beautiful  crystals  that  shimmer  under  the  glances  of 
the  torch  and  are  set  aflame  with  color,,  with  here  and  there  such  graceful  formations  as  to  suggest  studios  of  monster  sculptors. 

Continuing  our  way  south 
ward  to  the  junction  of  the 
Wyoming  Division,  in  Fall 
River  county,  we  turned  north 
on  that  small  branch  whose 
temporary  terminus  is  Merino, 
,  at  which  point  a  team  was  en 
gaged  to  take  us  to  what  is  truly 
one  of  the  seven  wonders  of  the 
world.  In  our  trip  of  several 
thousand  miles  through  the 
mountainous  regions  of  the 
great  West,  we  had  seen  and 
photographed  many  extraordi 
nary  and  startling  prodigies  of 
nature,  so  that  all  sentiment  of 
awe,  surprise  and  admiration 
had  been  aroused,  but  we  were 
now  to  be  confronted  by  a  mira 
cle  in  stone  that  confounded 
and  mingled  all  feelings  of 
wonderment  and  fascination 
into  stupefaction  of  bewildered 
senses. 

We  had  to  travel  about 
twenty-five  miles  across  a  fairly 
level  stretch  of  country  before 
reaching  the  Belle  Fourche 
River,  a  main  branch  of  the 
Cheyenne,  on  the  west  bank  of 
which  is  located  this  marvelous 
monument  of  the  ages,  which 
for  its  astounding  size  and  un 
accountable  formation  is  called 
the  Devil's  Tower.  Among  the 
Sioux  Indians,  who  have  always 
regarded  it  with  superstitious  THE  CHANCEL.  CRYSTAL  CAVE.  BLACK  HILLS. 


3°4 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


dread,  it  is  known  as  the  Mateo's  Tepee,  signifying  the  Bear's  L,odge,  and  was  by  them  supposed  to  be  the  haunt  of  a  were-animal,  who 
possessed  the  power  of  becoming  a  bear  or  man  at  pleasure.  The  country  within  a  radius  of  fifty  miles  is  slightly  broken  by  high  table-lands, 
but  there  is  nothing  to  indicate 
any  special  spasm  of  nature  by 
which  so  great  a  freak  might 
have  been  formed;  yet  out  of 
this  undulating  expanse  of  land 
scape  suddenly  rises  a  stupend 
ous  obelisk  of  vitrified  stone,  to 
the  amazing  height  of  eight 
hundred  feet.  The  base,  which 
measures  326  feet  at  its  longest 
diameter,  is  400  feet  above  the 
river-bed,  which  in  turn  is  500 
feet  above  sea  level.  Thus  meas 
ured,  the  peak  of  this  amazing 
tower  is  1,700  feet  above  the 
sea;  no  surprise  therefore  that 
it  is  visible  for  a  distance  of 
forty  miles.  But  the  wonder 
which  such  a  colossal  shaft 
naturally  excites  is  immensely 
increased  by  the  fact  that  the 
Devil's  Tower  is  a  composition 
of  huge  crystals  of  basalt,  or 
volcanic  rock,  which  lie  in  col 
umns  some  three  feet  in  diame 
ter,  and  continue  unbroken  from 
the  base  to  the  peak,  giving  to 
it  a  fibrous  appearance.  The 
walls  are  almost  vertical,  with 
a  slightly  vertical  slope,  to  give 
it  a  more  graceful  contour,  and 
though  there  are  occasional  rifts 
in  the  sides,  no  human  being, 
however  skilful  as  a  spire- 
climber,  can  ever  accomplish 

THE   DEVIL'S  CHAIR,  ST.  CROIX   RIVER, 
its  ascent. 

The  enquiry  is  irresistible:     "What  wondrous  force  created  this  petrified  monster  of  the  Wyoming  table-lands?"     One  plausible 
answer  may  be  built  upon  the  theory  that  here,  at  one  time,  was  the  bed  of  an  ocean,  a  supposition  supported  by  such  evidences  as  the 


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AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


finding  of  sea-shells  and  bones  of  extinct  sea-creatures  all  about  over  the  ground,  and  deeply  embedded  in  the  earth  throughout  the  section. 
When  the  waters  receded,  this  inequality,  which  might  have  existed  as  an  island,  was  left  as  the  product  of  volcanic  action.  But  a  yet  more 
reasonable  cause  may  be  found  in  the  supposition  that  along  the  Belle  Fourche  was  the  center  of  intense  volcanic  energy  sometime  during 
the  very  remote  past,  during  which  period  the  spot  occupied  by  the  tower  was  a  volcano-vent  out  of  which  poured  lava  in  such  a  slow  and 
steady  flow  that  it  deposited  in  basaltic  columnar  crystals  at  the  apex.  Thus  gradually  it  grew  in  size  and  height,  like  many  of  the 
formations  in  Yellowstone  Park,  until  the  volcano  had  expended  its  force  and  left  this  vast  monument  as  an  everlasting  evidence  of  its 
persistence  through  centuries  of  activity.  But  however  it  was  formed,  the  Devil's  Tower  takes  a  place  in  the  first  list  of  the  world's 
greatest  natural  wonders,  and  it  deserves  to  be 
much  better  known  than  it  is. 

Returning  from  a  long  and  very  wearying 
ride  to  the  Tower,  we  again  took  the  Burling 
ton  Road,  retracing  much  of  the  way  we  had 
come,  and  proceeded  to  Crawford,  Nebraska, 
in  order  to  view  two  famous  curiosities  known 
as  Crow  Butte  and  Signal  Rock,  which  are 
near  that  town.  Fort  Robinson  post  and  mili 
tary  reservation  are  a  mile  west,  on  White 
River,  and  the  country  is  picturesque  with 
Inittes,  which  rise  out  of  the  prairie  lands  in 
singular  impertinence  and  unseemliness,  while 
considerable  bluffs  confine  the  river.  The  ter 
ritory  was  for  many  years  the  scene  of  bitter 
strifes  between  the  Sioux  and  Crow  Indians, 
who  reddened  nearly  every  acre  of  the  ground 
with  their  blood,  and  left  remembrances  of  their 
occupancy  and  incidents  of  their  adventures 
in  names  which  they  gave  to  a  hundred  points 
in  the  near  vicinity  of  Crawford.  South  of  the 
town,  about  five  miles,  a  conspicuous  object  in 
a  wide  range  is  Crow  Butte,  a  titanic  eleva 
tion  of  stone,  nearly  two  hundred  feet  in  height 
and  several  hundred  yards  in  circumference, 
with  vertical  walls  on  all  sides  except  one,  in 


TEA-TABLE   ROCK,  WISCONSIN   RIVER. 


which  there  is  a  winding-way  by  which  a  horseman  may  ride  to  the  top.  The  legend  is  told  that  on  one  occasion  a  party  of  Crow  Indians 
were  so  savagely  pursued  by  their  old  enemies  that  they  took  refuge  on  the  top  of  Crow  Butte,  where,  though  much  fewer  in  number,  they 
so  valorously  defended  the  narrow  roadway  that  the  Sioux  were  driven  back  each  time  they  attempted  to  gain  the  summit.  Being  unable 
to  dislodge  them,  the  Sioux  resolved  to  besiege  the  Crows  until  starvation  compelled  them  to  surrender.  For  several  days  and  nights  the 
siege  continued,  until  at  length  hunger  drove  the  Crows  to  a  desperate  expedient.  Watching  their  time,  when  the  night  was  darkest,  they 
killed  some  of  their  ponies,  and  converting  their  hides  into  lariats,  lowered  one  after  another  of  their  number  to  the  ground  below  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  butte,  until  all  but  one  old  Indian  had  been  safely  delivered,  who  was  left  a  while  to  keep  the  camp-fire  burning.  On 


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308 

the  following  day  the  old  man  came  down 
and  surrendered  himself  to  the  Sioux,  and 
related  to  them  the  wonderful  means  by  which 
his  comrades  had  escaped.  Instead  of  killing 
him,  as  might  have  been  expected,  on  this 
one  occasion  the  Sioux  magnanimously  gave 
him  his  liberty  as  a  recompense  for  the  loyalty 
and  bravery  which  he  had  exhibited. 

Signal  Rock  is  only  a  short  distance  from 
Crow  Butte,  and  is  a  similar  formation,  though 
not  nearly  so  large;  and  while  the  summit  is 
nearly  as  high,  it  is  peaked  and  not  difficult 
to  reach.  It  derives  its  name  from  the  use 
to  which  it  was  frequently  put  by  the  Indians 
in  previous  years,  who  by  means  of  fire  at 
night  were  able  to  signal  to  their  friends  as 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


SQUAW'S  CHAMBER,  DELLS  of  the  WISCONSIN. 


THE  NARROWS,  DELLS  of  the  WISCONSIN. 

of  some  of  the  most  charming  natural  wonders 
that  first  attracted  public  interest  to  the  vast 
Northwest.  The  head  of  navigation  on  the 
Mississippi  is  unalterably  fixed  at  St.  Paul, 
for  above  that  point  the  river  is  a  brawling 
stream,  flowing  over  ledges  and  rushing 
through  contracted  passages  lined  with  bluffs. 
At  Minneapolis  are  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony, 
but  no  longer  do  these  present  the  furious 
aspect  which  once  characterized  them,  for 
the  wild  riot  of  turbulent  waters  that  formerly 
went  dashing  over  a  high  brink  with  a  roar 
that  made  the  shore  to  tremble,  have  been 
harnessed,  and  are  now  driven  over  sloping 
tables  so  as  to  glide  softly  into  the  bed  below. 
The  channel,  too,  has  been  cut  and  buttressed 


far  away  as  the  Bad  Lands  of  South  Dakota. 

The  Fremont,  Elk  horn  and  Missouri 
River  Road  crosses  the  Burlington  at  Craw 
ford,  and  our  work  of  photographing  the 
Black  Hills  district  being  completed,  the  trip 
back  to  St.  Paul  was  made,  and  a  junction 
with  other  members  of  the  expedition  was 
formed,  whose  artist  labors  have  already  been 
described. 

The  twin  cities  of  St.  Paul  and  Minne 
apolis  represent  the  intrusion  of  civilization 
upon  the  primeval  lands  of  romance,  and  thus 
while  we  admire  the  imposing  wealth  and 
architectural  beauties  of  these  great  metropoli, 
we  cannot  avoid  a  feeling  of  semi-regret  that 
they  have  grown  at  the  expense  and  sacrifice 


CASTLE  TOWER,  DELLS  of  the  WISCONSIN. 


CROW   BUTTE  AND  SIGNAL  ROCK,   DAWES  COUNTY,   NEBRASKA. 


3io 

with  masonry,  so  that  the  strong  right  arm 
of  the  falls  is  made  a  servant  of  commerce  in 
supplying  the  motive-power  for  many  im 
mense  flouring  mills. 

The  sight-seer  turns  with  feelings  of  dis 
appointment  at  the  artificial  appearance  of 
St.  Anthony's  Falls,  and  seeking  the  wonders 
of  nature  unadorned,  drives  over  to  Minne- 
haha's  sylvan  solitudes,  but  upon  which, 
alas,  the  encroachments  of  sacrilegious  im 
provements  characteristic  of  city  extension 
are  now  apparent.  But  the  voice  of  its  falling 
waters  is  still  attuned  to  the  rhythm  of  the 
poet  that  sang  it  into  fame.  Down  through 
flower-sprinkled  meadows  purls  and  gambols 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


CLIFF  NEAR  MOUTH  OF  WITCHES'  GULCH. 

"  Paused  to  purchase  heads  of  arrows 
Of  the  ancient  Arrow-maker, 
In  the  land  of  the  Dacotahs, 
Where  the  Falls  of  Minnehaha 
Flash  and  gleam  among  the  oak-trees, 
Laugh  and  leap  into  the  valley. 
There  the  ancient  Arrow-maker 
Made  his  arrow-heads  of  sandstone, 
Arrow-heads  of  chalcedony, 
Arrow-heads  of  flint  and  jasper, 
Smoothed  and  sharpened  at  the  edges, 
Hard  and  polished,  keen  and  costly." 

But  no  one  with  a  love  for  the  picturesque 
can  close  an  eye  to  the  fairy-like  beauty 
of  Minnehaha,  as  it  pours  over  a  crescent 
brink  in  a  sheet  of  gauze,  so  thin  that  the 
wall  behind  loses  little  of  its  distinctness,  and 
SKYLIGHT  CAVE,  DELLS  OF  THE  WISCONSIN,  the  rocks  upon  which  the  water  breaks  are 


a  silver  stream,  slaking  the  thirst  of  the  linnet 
and  bathing  the  feet  of  the  dove,  until  weary 
of  the  sunshine  it  spreads  itself  over  a  ledge 
like  a  veil  of  gossamer  and  drops  into  the 
cool  shades  that  welcome  its  embraces.  The 
Falls  of  Minnehaha  are  an  example  of  that 
coy  and  quiet  comportment  which  sometimes 
blushes  into  notoriety,  for  no  one  with  less 
imagery  than  a  poet  would  discover  the  sub 
limity  of  its  aspect,  or  the  artfulness  of  its 
graces.  It  is  to  Longfellow,  therefore,  that  we 
owe  the  immortality  with  which  these  laugh 
ing  waters  are  invested,  and  the  imperishable 
fame  of  Hiawatha,  who,  while  in  quest  of 
better  weapons 


HAWK'S  BILL,   DELLS  OF   THE  WISCONSIN. 


FALLS  OF  ST.  ANTHONY. 


312 

refreshed  like  the  head  of  a  babe  at  its  chris 
tening.  A  lace  curtain  is  not  more  delicate, 
and  thistle-down  is  scarcely  more  dainty,  as 
the  illustration  shows. 

The  eroding  fingers  of  percolating  waters 
have  worn  the  soft  rock  behind  the  fall,  until 
a  shelf  is  formed  that  extends  three  or  four 
feet  beyond  the  face  of  the  wall.  Visitors 
may  therefore  pass  under  this  shelf  and  look 
outward  through  the  transparent  liquid  sheet 
as  it  pours  in  a  broad  but  tenuous  stream,  not 
unlike  valencienne  drapery  gently  agitated. 
A  pathway  leads  from  the  falls  down  a  grace 
fully  embowered  ravine  to  spots  so  temptingly 
secluded  that  maidens  never  wander  there 
that  love  does  not  follow;  and  so  many  darts 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


have  been  hurled  at  wooing  swains  in  this 
romantic  dell  that  I  am  almost  persuaded  to 
believe  that  it  was  not  Hiawatha,  but  Cupid, 
who  came  here  to  get  his  arrows. 

But  if  Miunehaha  is  beautiful  in  spring 
time,  it  is  sublime  when  folded  in  the  crystal 
arms  of  winter,  a  frozen  cascade  of  puffs  and 
snow-balls,  hibernating  after  its  season  of 
sporting,  awaiting  the  return  of  bird,  flower 
and  lover.  Not  far  away  are  lakes  of  various 
sizes,  like  Minnetonka  and  Great  Bear,  to 
which  thousands  resort  when  sultry  winds 
blow  and  the  blazing  sun  of  summer-time 
drives  sweltering  humanity  to  such  cool 
retreats.  But  the  beauties  of  this  northern 
region  are  not  exhausted  by  lake  and  water- 


THE   FAIRIES'  RETREAT,   Dells  of  the  Wisconsin. 


WITCHES'  GULCH,  Dells  of  the  Wisconsin. 

fall,  which  though  charming,  cannot  compete 
for  interest  with  some  of  the  natural  marvels 
that  exist  in  the  neighbor  State  of  Wisconsin. 

St.  Croix  River  separates  the  two  States 
and  is  a  stream  that  exhibits  both  curious 
and  exquisite  formations  along  many  miles  of 
its  banks,  and  but  for  the  vast  logging  inter 
ests  which  it  so  admirably  serves,  penetrating 
as  it  does  the  great  pine  region,  the  river 
would  be  filled  with  pleasure-crafts  throughout 
the  summer,  carrying  tourists  in  and  out 
among  its  dells  and  fairy-like  grottos. 

The  bluffs  of  sandstone  are  a  source  of 
unending  surprise,  rising  out  of  the  water  so 
nearly  perpendicular  that  they  defy  all  effort 
to  scale  them,  and  present  a  front  like  the 


WHIRLPOOL   CHAMBER,   Dells  of  the  Wisconsin. 


MINNEHAHA  FALLS  IN  SUMMER. 


ROMANCE   CLIFF,   DELLS  OF   THE  ST.   CROIX   RIVER. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


walled  cities  of  ancient  times.  Nature  has  not  left  them 
undisturbed,  either,  for  their  toussled  brinks  and  seared  sides 
show  the  finger-marks  of  frost  in  deep  fissures  and  eccentric 
cleavages,  while  here  and  there  fantastic  images  of  stone 
stand  like  grim  sentinels  on  commanding  ledges,  keeping 
unwearied  watch  upon  the  industrious  river.  Most  curious 
of  these  erratic  formations  is  the  Devil's  Chair,  which  the 
Chippewa  Indians  verily  believe  was  one  time  the  resting- 
place  of  his  sable  majesty,  probably  when  he  went  fishing. 
Anyhow,  the  rock  bears  the  autographs  of  many  adventurous 
persons  who  have  been  there  to  see.  The  fishing  certainly 
was  very  good  in  this  spot  before  Wisconsin  lumbermen 
filled  the  stream  so  full  of  pine-logs  that  not  even  the  devil 
himself  could  keep  his  line  from  fouling. 

East  of  the  St.  Croix  is  Chippewa  River,  flowing  in  the 
same  general  direction,  but  aside  from  being  a  pretty  stream 
it  has  nothing  to  specially  interest  tourists,  for  the  banks 
gently  shelve,  and  where  stone  appears  it  is  in  thin  layers, 
and  the  shore-line  never  rises  to  the  dignity  of  bluffs.  But 
the  Chippewa  Indians,  though  now  small  in  numbers,  still 
retain  their  ancient  homes  in  the  vicinity  of  the  stream, 
which,  because  of  its  shallowness,  is  not  used  as  extensively 
as  the  St.  Croix  for  shooting  logs  to  the  Mississippi.  Though 
surrounded  by  a  vigorous  civilization,  these  Indians,  if  we 
except  their  clothing,  exhibit  little  change  from  their  origi 
nal  customs  and  manners  of  living,  subsisting  by  hunting, 
fishing,  and  gathering  berries  for  the  neighboring  markets. 
They  still  make  birch-bark  canoes,  like  their  forefathers,  and 
in  a  way,  too,  that  white  men  do  not  appear  to  be  able  to 
imitate.  Specimens  of  their  deft  work  are  on  sale  in  all  the 
towns  of  Wisconsin,  from  which  source  they  derive  no 
little  profit. 

In  the  eastern  part  of  the  State,  in  Howano  county,  lives 
a  small  tribe  called  the  Menomines,  who  are  in  what  may  be 
called  the  transition  period,  for  their  manner  of  living  is  a 
composite  of  modern  ways  and  ancient  usage  and  belief. 
Some  of  the  Menomines  appear  to  be  thoroughly  civilized,  at 
least  so  far  as  outward  indications  show,  while  the  patriarchs 
of  the  tribe  remain  steadfast  in  the  faith  of  their  fathers. 
They  have  lost  none  of  their  confidence  in  the  Medicine  Man, 


SIGNAL  ROCK,   NEAR  CAMP  DOUGLAS,  WISCONSIN. 


MINNEHAHA  FALLS  IN  WINTER. 


316 

whose  counsel  in  political  affairs  is  as  impor 
tant  as  their  influence  over  diseases  of  the 
body  is  pronounced. 

A  Medicine  Man  being  questioned  as  to 
how  the  power  which  he  claimed  was  con 
ferred,  answered  thus: 

"My  heart  told  me  that  I  should  be  a 
Medicine  Man,  and  I  went  out  upon  a  mountain 
and  fasted  and  prayed  for  two  days,  awaiting 
a  sign  from  the  Great  Spirit.  At  the  end  of 
the  second  day,  as  the  sun  was  going  to 
sleep,  I  saw  a  great  light  which  blinded  my 
eyes,  and  heard  a  noise  as  of  the  rushing  of 
many  waters.  I  looked  around  again,  and 
about  me  were  four  animals — a  black-tailed 
deer,  a  white-tailed  deer,  a  wolf  and  a  buffalo. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


HORNET'S  NEST,  DELLS  OF  THE  WISCONSIN. 


CLEOPATRA'S   NEEDLE,  DEVIL'S  LAKE. 

of  their  superstitions.  They  still  believe  in 
Medicine  Men,  and  indulge  in  what  is  known 
as  the  Medicine  Dance,  but  only  at  the  time 
of  the  initiation  of  new  candidates  for  such 
honors;  and  their  doctors  must  now  be  the 
possessors  of  more  or  less  medical  knowledge, 
and  be  able  to  read  and  write.  The  ceremony 
is  too  long  and  tedious  to  describe,  but  the 
most  superficial  observer  cannot  fail  to  detect 
through  it  all  the  influence  of  contact  with 
civilization. 

The  Ojibways  are  another  remnant  of  the 
great  Indian  tribes  of  the  Northwest,  whose 
homes  are  in  Polk  county,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Balsam  Lake,  a  pretty  sheet  of  water  in  a 
wild  district,  where  fishing  is  good  and  game 


They  all  spoke  the  speech  of  men.  They 
said  that  the  Great  Spirit  had  heard  my 
prayer  and  had  sent  them  to  me.  The  ani 
mals  then  took  me  over  the  prairies  and  told 
me  what  plants  were  hurtful  and  what  were 
good  for  my  people.  They  told  me  what 
diseases  of  men  the  good  herb  would  cure, 
and  then  they  vanished  as  suddenly  as  they 
came.  I  returned  to  my  people,  told  the 
chiefs  what  I  had  seen,  was  made  and  have 
since  been  a  Medicine  Man." 

But  the  transition  from  savage  supersti 
tion  to  civilized  modes  is  apparent  among  the 
Menomines,  not  only  in  the  adoption  of  mod 
ern  clothing,  houses,  household  utensils  and 
Christian  ideas;  it  appears  also  in  the  change 


CLEFT   ROCK,   DEVIL'S  LAKE,  WISCONSIN. 


FOOT  AND  WAGON  BRIDGE  OVER  THE  ST.  CROIX  RIVER,  WISCONSIN. 


CHIPPEWA  INDIANS,  OF  WISCONSIN,  BUILDING  A  BIRCH-BARK  CANOE. 


A  CANDIDATE   FOR  MEDICINE   MAN   BEFORE   A  COUNCIL  OF   MENOMINE   INDIANS. 


3*0 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


still  fairly  abundant.  One  peculiarity  of  these  Indians  is  the  sacredness  with  which  they  regard  their  dead,  and  the  care  they  take  to 
preserve  the  bodies  of  relatives  from  violation.  They  are  content  to  house  themselves,  even  through  the  severest  winters,  in  the  flimsiest 
structures,  which  afford  very  little  shelter  from  the  cold,  but  their  dead  they  carefully  wrap  in  blankets  and  deposit  them  in  small  oblong 
houses  that  are  made  to  perfectly  exclude  rain,  snow  and  cold,  except  such  as  may  enter  by  a  square  little  door  in  one  end.  These  miniature 
mortuary  houses  are  placed  close  to  the  homes  of  the  living,  that  a  better  watch  may  be  kept  upon  them;  but  what  superstitious  motive 
prompts  this  custom,  I  have  not  been  able  to  learn. 

Wisconsin  is  very  justly  famous  for  many  things:  its  semi-civilized  Indian  tribes,  its  lakes,  dense  pine  forests,  and  above  all  for  its 
wondrous  scenery,  particularly 
along  the  Wisconsin  River, 
where  wonders  the  equal  of 
those  to  be  seen  in  Watkins' 
Glen,  New  York,  are  met  with 
in  rapid  succession  some  six 
miles  north  and  south  of  Kil- 
bourn  City.  It  was  to  Kilbourn 
City,  therefore,  that  we  pro 
ceeded,  by  way  of  the  Chicago, 
Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul  Rail 
road,  to  view  and  photograph 
the  truly  marvelous  scenery 
and  whimsically  erratic  forma 
tions  that  characterize  that 
section  of  the  river  known  as 
the  Dells.  The  river  is  deep, 
but  at  places  so  tortuously  nar 
row  between  projecting  elbows 
of  the  limestone  walls  that  only 
such  a  dimity  and  fairy-like 
steamboat  as  the  Dell  Queen 
can  thread  a  passage,  and  we 
accordingly  committed  our 
selves  to  this  frail  little  craft 
for  the  trip  which  is  made  by 

tourists  first  to  the  Upper  Dells,  eight  miles  above  the  city,  and  then  to  the  Lower  Dells,  which  are  three  miles  below.  For  many,  many 
centuries  the  Wisconsin,  probably  always  a  rapid  stream,  has  rasped  its  soft  Potsdam  sandstone-bed,  and  constantly  wearing  its  shore,  has 
finally  carved  out  a  way  that  is  fantastically  curious.  Now  the  stream  rolls  laughing  along  under  vertical  walls  sometimes  a  hundred  feet 
high,  and  wrought  into  the  most  weirdly  grotesque  forms  imaginable.  All  along,  its  capricious  course  is  marked  by  caves,  caverns,  grottos, 
glens,  and  eccentric  pillars  of  stone  that  are  as  humorously  dressed  as  a  zany  in  caps  and  bells.  In  making  the  ascent  from  Kilbourn  City 
one  of  the  first  objects  to  arrest  attention  is  "Angel  Rock,"  whose  broad  stretch  of  petrified  wing  is  said  to  guard  against  intrusion  into  the 
spectral  haunts  that  lie  beyond.  "Swallow's  Fortress"  next  appears,  a  perpendicular  wall  of  very  great  height,  and  unbroken  length  of 


THE  SUGAR-BOWL,   DELLS  OF  THE  WISCONSIN. 


WINTER  CAMP  AND  BURIAL   HOUSE  OF  OJIBWAY   INDIANS. 

21 


322 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


two  hundred  feet,  garrisoned  by  myriads  of  swallows  that  have  perforated  the  face  until  it  looks  like  the  lid  of  a  huge  pepper-box.  Having 
passed  this  castle  of  many  loop-holes,  we  enter  a  section  where  "Romance  Cliffs"  pays  eternal  greetings  to  "High  Rock,"  with  their 
strange  configurations  and  picturesque  statuary;  a  spot  that  is  favored  by  speckled  trout  as  it  is  by  lovers.  "Chimney  Rock"  next  bursts 
into  view,  built  up  of  as  many  strata  as  a  tower  of  pan-cakes,  which  from  a  distance  the  chimney  somewhat  resembles.  From  the  "Gate's 
Ravine"  there  is  a  splendid  sight  of  "Sturgeon  Rock,"  which  is  so  perfectly  reflected  as  to  appear  twice  its  natural  size.  Why  it  is  called 
Sturgeon  Rock  not  even  tradition  tells  us;  but  it  is  manifest  in  many  cases  that  those  who  bestowed  names  upon  these  pictorial  surprises 
were  so  arbitrary  as  to  be  indifferent  to  appropriateness,  like  the  colored  woman  who  called  her  first-born  Beelzebub,  because  she  heard  that 
some  prince  bore  that  name. 

At  a  place  where  the  river 
broadens,  and  the  left  shore 
spreads  into  a  long  level  covered 
with  willows,  while  the  right 
bank  continues  its  precipitous 
career,  there  is  a  wide  extension- 
table  projecting  from  the  wall 
which  is  called  "Visor  Ledge, 
of  Stand  Rock."  This  jutting 
point  is  admirably  designed  for 
a  jumping-off  place,  and  it  is  a 
matter  for  surprise  that  it  was 
not  christened  Lover's  Leap, 
like  all  other  similar  ledges  and 
shelves  that  I  have  seen.  Be 
yond  this  the  river  again 
narrows,  and  singular  efflores 
cences  of  stone,  like  a  garden 
of  flowering  curios,  wrap  our 
attention  with  questioning  sur 
prise.  "The  Hawk's  Bill"  is 
certain  to  catch  our  notice,  and 
equally  sure  to  excite  our  won 
der  that  it  was  not  called  the 
"Toothless  Old  Man,"  for  it 
does  seem  that  he  might  make  a 


OCONOMONOC  FALLS,  WISCONSIN. 


nut-cracker  of  his  nose  and  chin.  "Black  Hawk's  Leap"  must  be  accepted  as  a  poor  substitute  for  the  "Lover's  Jump,"  but  as  the  latter 
has  no  place  on  Wisconsin  River  the  former  name  has  been  applied  to  a  section  of  pictured  wall  that  is  excavated  at  the  base,  and  in  which 
the  gurgle  of  water  is  accentuated  by  echo  into  ominous  noises.  This  natural  excavation  is  called  Black  Hawk's  Cave,  and  is  said  to  have 
been  the  place  of  retreat  of  a  vanquished  party  of  Indians,  who  were  murderously  pursued  by  a  large  number  of  their  enemies,  but  memory 
fails  to  recall  the  particulars.  A  little  further  beyond  is  another  grotto  of  still  more  remarkable  formation,  called  "Cave  of  the  Dark 
Waters,"  and  rightly  it  is  named,  for  the  entrance  is  by  a  small  portal  into  a  commodious  chamber  whose  first  most  noticeable  characteristic 


BELEAGUERED  CASTLE,  CAMP  DOUGLAS,  WISCONSIN. 


324 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


is  its  darkness.     The  water  is  deep  throughout,  and  continually  suggests  the  advantages  of  the  cave  as  a  place  in  which  to  commit  crime, 
or  to  kiss  your  girl  while  passing  through  a  dark  tunnel. 

It  is  a  positive  relief  from  the  oppression  which  entrance  to  the  Dark  Waters  Cave  produces  to  be  hailed,  after  emerging,  by  a  sturdy 
little  stone  island  with  a  tossing  crest  of  pine,  which  some  Sweet  William  has  named  the  "Sugar-Bowl."  It  is  all  the  more  refreshing 
because  islands  in  the  river  are  exceedingly  scarce,  and  this  diversity  of  landscape  is  accordingly  doubly  appreciated. 

Still  further  beyond  is  the  "Mouth  of  Witches'  Gulch,"  commanded  by  picturesque  cliffs  that  show  the  teeth-marks  and  lacerations 
of  the  gnawing  waters.  So  romantic  is  the  spot,  and  so  inviting  the  little  saucer-shaped  beach  of  white  sand,  that  all  the  pleasure-boats 
that  ply  in  the  Dells  make  a 
landing  here  and  give  their  pas 
sengers  opportunity  to  go  on 
shore  and  carve  their  names  on 
the  terraced  walls.  So  many 
persons  had  been  there  before 
us,  however,  that  barely  space 
was  found  to  write  a  pencil 
autograph. 

Another  stop  is  made  at 
"Cold  Water  Canon,"  usually 
dry,  but  through  which  the  river 
pours  in  an  impetuous  torrent 
during  high  water.  Hereabout 
are  also  glens  and  other  curious 
excavations,  among  which  is  a 
hollow  formation  seventy  feet 
high  and  fifty  broad,  called  the 
"Devil's  Jug."  Another  run 
of  less  than  a  mile  brings  us  to 
"Steamboat  Rock,"  an  oval 
island  covered  with  hemlock 
and  mountain  cedars,  opposite 
to  which  a  third  landing  is 
made,  and  ascending  three 
flights  of  stairs  to  gain  the  sum 
mit  of  the  cliffs,  across  a  stretch 


CAVE  OF   THE   DARK  WATERS,   LAKE   SUPERIOR. 


of  woods,  and  descending  a  steep,  rocky  ledge, we  find  ourselves  at  the  superlative  wonder  of  the  Dells — -Witches'  Gulch.  Abruptly  arriving 
at  the  entrance  of  the  gulch,  above  which  189  feet,  in  a  projecting  rock,  may  be  seen  the  wry,  unmistakable  features  of  a  tousled  old  hag, 
the  queen  of  the  witches,  so  ominously  frowning  on  forms  and  faces  below.  Without  the  slightest  exaggeration  it  certainly  is  one  of  the 
most  wonderful,  weird  and  peculiar  places  on  this  continent. 

Entering  the  gulch,  we  look  up — far  up — and  catch  glimpses  of  sunlight  and  see  huge  pines  prostrate  and  lying  from  one  ledge  to 
another,  admonishing  us  to  look  well  to  our  going.     After  many,  many  windings,  we  come  into  "Phantom  Chamber,"  and  in  the  side  of  a 


MINER'S  FALLS,  LAKE  SUPERIOR. 


WHITE   ROCK,  LAKE   SUPERIOR. 


326 

rocky  ledge,  scooped  out,  as  if  by  hand,  find 
a  natural  basin,  and  take  a  drink  of  the  cool 
spring  water  gurgling  out  of  the  great  rock 
into  this  hidden  Pool  of  Siloam.  In  this 
rocky  apartment  we  ascend  a  pair  of  stairs, 
from  under  which  the  stream  that  meanders 
through  the  entire  gulch  leaps  in  majestic 
fall,  its  roar  almost  deafening,  and  spray 
dashing  over  us.  For  thousands  of  years  this 
little  stream — at  first,  probably,  a  switch  of 
rainfall  on  the  earth's  surface — has  been 
engaged  in  wearing  this  chasm  in  the  sand 
stone,  until  now  the  gorge  is  seventy-five  feet 
deep,  nearly  a  mile  long,  and  in  some  places 
so  narrow  that  a  large  person  can  only  pass 
through  with  difficulty,  especially  at  Fat  Man's 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


(or  Woman's)  Misery-point.  In  several 
places  vast  chambers  have  been  formed,  at 
the  door-way  of  one  of  which  a  beautiful  fall 
of  water  leaps  down  into  a  deep-cut  basin. 

There  are  several  deep  crevasses  in  the 
river  leading  to  places  of  extraordinary  beauty 
and  wonder,  and  which  on  account  of  the 
narrow  passage  cannot  be  reached  by  the 
little  steamboat.  Row-boats  are  therefore 
provided,  by  the  aid  of  which  we  visited  a 
number  of  these  side-attractions.  "Sky 
light  Cave"  is  one  of  these  which,  though 
having  a  small  mouth,  widens  inside  and 
receives  light  through  a  little  crevice  at  the 
top.  It  is  a  cosy  little  retreat  that  well  re- 
repays  a  visit. 


THE  OLD  GUARD,   NEAR   DEVIL'S  LAKE,  W1S. 


SPLIT  ROCK,  DEVIL'S  LAKE,  WISCONSIN. 

Returning  to  Kilbourn  City,  on  the 
following  day  a  trip  was  made  to  Taylor's 
Glen,  which  is  thus  well  described  by  a  cor 
respondent:  "At  the  handsome  school  build 
ing  on  the  east  side  of  the  village,  a  rugged 
path  struggles  down  into  an  ordinary  '  hol 
low,'  which  farther  down  and  followed,  opens 
into  a  grand  gorge.  Every  step  now  reveals 
scenes  and  formations  beside  which  all  the 
boasted  charms  of  'Watkin's  Glen'  become 
commonplace.  Being  neither  cave  nor  valley, 
but  combining  all  the  attractions  of  both,  it 
winds  and  twists  through  immense  rocks  in  a 
serpentine  path.  At  one  point,  far  overhead, 
a  sheet  of  daylight  slants  through  a  mere  rift 
in  the  rocks.  The  roof  and  high-arching 


FALLS  OF  ST.  LOUIS  RIVER. 


RAPIDS  OF   MONTREAL   RIVER,   NORTH  OF   LAKE  SUPERIOR. 


328 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


walls  are  frescoed  with  diamond  dew  and  dripping,  drooping  mosses  and  lichens.  Groups  of  strange  figures,  carved  by  cataracts,  washed 
by  whirlpools  ages  on  ages  ago,  ape  Egyptian  gods  and  mummies  of  the  ancient  Orient.  Here  a  crystal  spring  bursts  from  a  wall  of  solid 
stone  and  goes  dancing  down  over  pebbles  and  ferns.  On  through  an  ever-varying  pathway  filled  with  kaleidoscope-like  enchantment  we 
wandered  with  awe  and  admiration,  our  journey  ending  at  a  long,  dark  tunnel,  which  looks  out,  through  a  wide,  cavernous  window,  upon 
the  river  beyond.  The  Lower  Dells,  like  their  companions  above  the  village,  have  rocky  banks,  covered  with  vegetation,  and  curiously 
shaped  formations  no  less  interesting  than  the  aggregation,  a  description  of  which  I  have  but  faintly  accomplished.  One  cannot  see  this 
truly  remarkable,  weird,  romantic  and  beautiful  section  of  our  land  and  suppress  admiration.  Nor  will  a  week  suffice  for  a  thorough 
exploration  of  the  caves,  grottos, 
rocks  and  ravines  hereabouts. 
Above  Witches'  Gulch  is  a  beauti 
ful  view  of  the  river,  its  bluffs  and 
many  islands,  a  fairly  comparable 
Lake  George  view.  A  fine  drive  is 
had  north  from  Kilbourn  to  '  Hor 
net's  Nest,'  'Squaw's  Chamber,' 
'Luncheon  Hall,'  'Stand  Rock,' 
'Devil's  Lake,'  and  many  points  of 
interest  farther  up  the  river  and  in 
the  country  in  this  and  adjoining 
counties." 

The  whole  region  within  a 
radius  of  thirty  or  more  miles  of 
Kilbourn  City,  particularly  on  the 
west,  is  full  of  natural  curiosities, 
for  the  district  was  evidently  at  one 
time,  in  the  remote  past,  the  bed  of 
a  lake  whose  swirling  waters  carved 
the  soft  sandstones  into  many 
astounding  forms,  and  then  were 
assuaged  by  some  force  which  geol 
ogists  fail  to  explain,  leaving  these 
rare  monuments  of  their  work 
behind  them.  Devil's  Lake,  near 
by,  is  the  relic  of  that  vast  inland 
sea,  which  no  doubt  was  a  part  of  the  great  lakes,  on  the  shores  of  which  are  many  images  of  wondrous  shapes  and  size,  with  many  of 
which  interesting  legends  are  connected.  Thus  "Sacrifice  Stone,"  in  "Wonder  Notch,"  is  popularly  believed  to  be  the  rock  on  which 
an  Indian  maiden  was  immolated  at  an  unknown  time  to  propitiate  the  anger  of  the  Great  Spirit,  while  "Cleft  Rock"  represents  the  fury 
of  the  devil  who,  while  in  a  passion  over  some  act  of  the  tribe,  rose  out  of  the  lake  and  hurled  one  of  his  fiery  darts  with  such  poor  aim 
that  it  did  no  other  damage  than  split  the  largest  stone  on  the  shore. 

Cleopatra's  Needle  is  likewise  reputed  to  be  the  transformed  and  geologic  remains  of  a  very  ancient  Indian  chief  who  was  punished 


GIANT'S  CASTLE,   NEAR  CAMP  DOUGLAS. 


SUGAR-LOAF,  MAC1NAC  ISLAND. 


33° 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


by  the  devil  for  the  audacity  of  attempting  to  pene 
trate  the  mysteries  of  the  lake  ;  while  another  broken 
and  distorted  stone  on  the  front  of  East  Mountain  is 
connected  with  a  similar  and  indistinct  tradition  re 
specting  the  invidious  curiosity  of  a  squaw.  But 
though  there  is  no  lack  ot  superstitious  beliefs  among 
the  few  Indians  of  the  district,  who  respect  these 
queer  formations  as  the  relics  of  their  forefathers, 
there  is  no  more  foundation  for  them  than  the  mere 
claim  that  "so  it  has  been  told,"  for  no  one  has  ever 
heard  the  particulars.  It  is  a  forgotten  story. 

Near  the  west  center  of  Juneau  county,  fifteen 
miles  east  of  the  Wisconsin  River,  is  a  cross-roads 
railroad  town  called  Camp  Douglas,  which  is  in  the 
midst  of  a  region  remarkable  for  natural  curiosities, 
rivaling  those  found  in  the  Bad  L,ands  in  Wyoming. 
It  is  a  country  of  sandstone  that  exhibits  the  astonish 
ing  results  of  centuries  of  water  and  wind  erosions  upon 
what  was  manifestly  once  a  vast  bed  of  argillaceous  clay, 
that  in  the  process  of  time  was  converted  into  soft  stone 
as  the  lake  dried  up.  The  receding  waters  gradually 
wore  deep  ravines  in  the  sandstone,  thus  giving  birth 
to  rivulets  which  aided  a  more  rapid  change  in  the  bed 
until  it  became  traversed  by  numerous  streams  that  in 
time  completely  drained  the  lake.  Then  the  winds 
began  their  work  of  eroding,  helped  by  the  sand  which 
they  carried,  and  the  result  became  finally,  as  we 
behold  it  in  the  Bad  I",ands,  and  in  Monument  Park, 
Colorado,  a  large  number  of  towers,  domes,  pinnacles 
and  other  architectural  forms.  To  the  more  strikingly 
curious  shapes  names  have  been  given,  as  the  "Old 
Guard,"  "Giant's  Castle,"  "Castle  Rock,"  "Chimney 
Rock,"  "Signal  Rock,"  "Beleaguered  Castle,"  etc., 
as  shown  by  the  illustrations. 

From  Kilbourn  City  we  went  to  Milwaukee,  and 
thence  by  the  Chicago  and  Northwestern,  and  the  Min 
neapolis,  St.  Paul  and  Sault  Ste.  Marie  Railroad  to  St. 
Ignace,  where  we  took  boat  for  Mackinac  Island,  a  very 
noted  resort  in  the  Straits  of  Mackinaw.  This  island 
is  celebrated  for  its  splendid  scenery,  some  of  which 


CHIMNEY   AND   BEE   ROCKS,  CAMP  DOUGLAS,  WISCONSIN. 


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332 

we  photographed,  after  which  we  proceeded 
to  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  the  seat  of  government 
of  Chippewa  county,  Michigan,  and  noted  for 
having  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  ship 
canals  in  the  world,  through  which,  surpris 
ing  as  the  statement  appears,  a  larger  daily 
tonnage  passes  than  the  Suez  Canal  accommo 
dates.  One  of  the  sights  that  are  apt  to  claim 
the  particular  attention  of  visitors  now  are 
the  new  grain-carrying  vessels  called  Whale- 
backs,  which  have  within  the  last  three  years 
become  a  feature  of  our  lake  commerce. 

In  order  to  observe  the  shores  more 
clearly,  we  took  one  of  the  Lake  Superior 
Transit  Company's  steamers  at  Sault  Ste. 
Marie  for  Duluth,  a  route  which  gives  oppor 
tunity  for  taking  photographs  of  the  incom 
parable  pictured  cliffs  of  Superior.  But  at 
Marquette,  where  the  steamer  lands,  a  yacht 
was  engaged  in  which  we  were  able  to  approach 
much  of  the  finest  scenery  that  would  other 
wise  have  escaped  our  attention. 

The  range  of  cliffs  to  which  the  name 
of  Pictured  Rocks  has  been  given,  may  be 
regarded  as  among  the  most  striking  and 
beautiful  features  of  the  scenery  of  the  North 
west,  and  is  well  worthy  the  attention  of  the 
artist  and  the  observer  of  geological  phe 
nomena.  They  may  be  described,  in  general 
terms,  as  a  series  of  sandstone  bluffs  extending 
along  the  shore  of  Lake  Superior  for  about 
five  miles,  and  derive  their  name  from  the 
great  diversity  of  colors  they  display.  They 
are  worn  into  strange  shapes  by  frost  and 
storm,  and  stained  by  a  thousand  dyes  in 
every  possible  variety  of  arrangement,  far 
beyond  the  power  of  words  to  describe,  and 
all  this  profusion  is  repeated  mile  after  mile, 
keeping  up  the  interest  by  some  new  prospect 
of  sweeping  curve,  or  abrupt  angle,  or 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


SIGNAL  ROCK,  CAMP  DOUGLAS. 


NIPIGON  RIVER,  FLOWING  INTO  LAKE  SUPERIOR. 


334 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


fantastic  form.  "The  'Castle,'  the  first  of  the  more  striking  features  of  the  rocks,  bears  at  a  distance  a  great  resemblance  to  an  ancient 
castle,  with  walls,  towers,  and  battlements.  Further  on,  a  mass  of  detached  rock  called  the  'Sail  Rock'  comes  into  view,  and  so  striking 
is  its  resemblance  to  a  sloop  with  the  jib  and  mainsail  spread,  that  a  short  distance  out  on  the  lake  any  one  would  suppose  it  a  real  boat 
sailing  near  the  beach.  But  the  principal  feature  of  the  rocks  is  the  magnificent  cave  known  as  the  'Grand  Portal.'  Let  the  reader 
imagine  himself  in  a  room  400  feet  long  by  18  feet  wide,  and  150  to  200  feet  high  to  the  arched  roof,  bulk  of  yellow  sandstone,  seamed 
with  decay,  and  dripping  with  water.  Shout,  and  the  voice  is  multiplied  an  hundredfold  by  echoes  that  reverberate  several  seconds,  sharp, 
metallic.  Here  the  stratum  of  gravel  rises  about  fifty  feet,  while  at  the  castle  it  is  nearly  down  to  the  water's  level.  The  waters  are 
undermining  the  foundations,  and  wearing  holes  every 
where  in  the  support  of  the  walls  and  the  roof.  The 
water  in  the  cave  increases  in  depth  as  you  go  on 
towards  the  lake,  from  the  bare  rocks  of  the  back 
end  to  about  fifty  feet  at  the  opening,  and  a  few  rods 
from  the  shore  it  is  a  hundred  feet,  or  more.  The  cliff 
on  the  west,  next  to  the  Grand  Portal,  is  hollowing  out, 
forming  an  immense  cave,  increasing  every  year." 

"It  is  beyond  the  power  of  the  pencil,"  says  a 
recent  traveler,  "to  represent  the  effect  of  the  reflected 
light  in  the  roof  as  seen  from  the  rear.  Especially 
when  the  sun  is  toward  the  west  the  bright  light  is 
reflected  from  the  waves  into  the  cavern,  and  undulates 
like  a  sea  of  light  overhead;  a  picture  in  living  colors, 
so  tender,  so  quiet — luminous,  pearly  grays,  bright 
flashes,  cool,  high  lights,  all  warmed  by  the  yellow 
sandstone,  dripping  with  water,  on  which  the  effect  is 
thrown." 

"At  the  mouth  of  Miner's  River  the  coast  makes  an 
abrupt  turn  to  the  eastward,  and  just  at  the  point  where 
the  rocks  break  off  and  the  sand  beach  begins,  is  seen 
one  of  the  grandest  works  of  nature  in  her  rock-built 
architecture,  which  is  known  as  'Miners'  Castle,' 
from  its  singular  resemblance  to  the  turreted  entrance 
and  arched  portal  of  some  old  castle.  The  height  of 
the  advancing  mass,  in  which  the  form  of  the  gothic 
gateway  may  be  recognized,  is  about  seventy  feet,  while  SAND  ISLAND  ARCH,  LAKE  SUPERIOR. 

that  of  the  main  wall  forming  the  background  is  about  one  hundred  and  forty.  The  appearance  of  the  opening  at  the  base  changes  rapidly 
with  each  change  in  the  position  of  the  spectator,  and  on  taking  a  position  a  little  to  the  right  of  that  occupied  by  the  sketcher,  the  central 
opening  appears  more  distinctly,  flanked  on  either  side  by  two  lateral  passages,  making  the  resemblance  to  an  artificial  work  still  more 
striking.  The  chapel,  if  not  the  grandest,  is  among  the  most  grotesque  of  nature's  architecture  here  displayed.  Unlike  the  excavations 
before  described,  which  occur  at  the  water's  edge,  this  has  been  made  in  the  rock  at  a  height  of  thirty  or  forty  feet  above  the  lake.  The 
interior  consists  of  a  vaulted  apartment,  which  has  not  inaptly  received  the  name  it  bears.  An  arched  roof  of  sandstone,  from  ten  to  twenty 


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336 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


feet  in  thickness,  rests  on  four  gigantic  columns  of  rock,  so  as  to  leave  a  vaulted  apartment  of  irregular  shape,  about  forty  feet  in  diameter, 
and  about  the  same  in  height.  The  columns  consist  of  finely  stratified  rock,  and  have  been  worn  into  curious  shapes.  At  the  base  of  one 
of  them  an  arched  cavity,  or  niche,  has  been  cut,  to  which  access  is  had  by  a  flight  of  steps,  formed  by  the  projecting  strata.  The 
disposition  of  the  whole  is  such  as  to  resemble,  very  much,  the  pulpit  of  a  church;  since  there  is,  overhead,  an  arched  canopy,  and  in  front 
an  opening  out  towards  the  vaulted  interior  or  the  chapel,  with  a  flat  tubular  mass  in  front,  rising  to  a  convenient  height  for  a  desk,  while 
on  the  right  is  an  isolated  block,  which  not  inaptly  represents  an  altar;  so  that,  if  the  whole  had  been  adapted  expressly  for  a  place  of 
worship,  and  fashioned  by  the  hands  of  men,  it  could  hardly  have  been  arranged  more  appropriately.  It  is  scarcely  possible  to  describe 
the  singular  and  unique  effect 
of  this  extraordinary  structure; 
it  is  truly  a  temple  of  nature — 
'an  house  not  made  with 
hands.'  " 

The  Pictured  Rocks  are 
beautiful  and  fantastic  at  all 
times,  but  it  is  in  winter  that 
they  are  sublimely  lovely,  be- 
wilderingly  grand,  as  photo 
graphs  taken  by  Mr.  Childs,  to 
whom  we  are  indebted  for  their 
use  here,  will  show.  The  falls 
of  Miners'  River  are  exquisite 
when  pouring  over  a  brink 
fringed  with  greenest  foilage,  but 
when  held  in  the  vise-like  grip 
of  winter  they  are  magnificent 
almost  beyond  conception. 
They  are  a  fitting  prelude  to  the 
spectatorium  of  cave  wonders 
near-by,  such  as  the  "Abode  of 
the  Genii,"  which  might  better 
be  called  the  "Throne-room  of 
Fairy  Stalacta."  The  water 
percolating  through  the  roof  of 


ABODE   OF   THE  GENII,   LAKE  SUPERIOR. 


the  caverns  is  frozen  into  the  rarest,  daintiest  and  most  exquisite  incrustations  imaginable,  some  having  the  appearance  of  snow  balls, 
chrysanthemums  and  lilies,  while  others  reach  down  their  immense  crystal  points,  as  if  trying  to  rest  their  ponderous  weight  upon  the 
opalescent  floor.  The  "  Cave-of-the-Winds  "  has  a  splendid  entrance,  and  being  shallow  in  depth  is  well  lighted,  so  that  the  ice-covered 
walls  reflect  the  most  gorgeous  colors;  but  the  congealed  formations,  while  very  beautiful,  cannot  compare  with  those  that  the  Genii  of 
the  neighbor  grotto  have  appropriated.  The  splendors  of  these  shores,  however,  are  by  no  means  confined  to  the  caverns,  for  almost  equally 
curious  and  charming  views  are  presented  by  the  vertical  faces  of  the  snowy  cliffs,  upon  which  winter  hangs  the  most  magnificent  draperies. 
"The  Cascade"  is  formed  by  the  water  flowing  over  a  low  bench  along  the  shore,  but  at  many  points  more  curious  effects  are  produced  bv 


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BAY   OF   ISLES,   LAKE  SUPERIOR. 


PRINCESS  BAY,   LAKE  SUPERIOR. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

the  fierce  lashings  of  the  lake  that  toss 
showers  of  spray  high  up  on  the  cliffs, 
where  it  freezes  into  shapes  peculiarly 
wonderful  and  often  radiantly  beautiful. 
"Peter's  Pillar"  is  a  curious  ice  monu 
ment  formed  by  a  little  waterfall  that 
drops  through  a  hole  it  has  worn  in  the 
bluff,  but  about  the  base  are  pretty  ice 
terraces  and  graceful  corrugations,  the 
frozen  spray  cast  from  the  shore-beating 
waves  of  the  angry  lake. 

"The  Grand  Portal"  is  a  perforation 
through  an  elbow  of  the  palisades,  and  of 
such  magnitude  as  to  appear  like  a  vast 
cave,  when  viewed  from  an  angle.  Inside, 
however,  it  is  seen  to  be  a  great  tunnel, 
sufficiently  curved  to  barely  admit  the 
sight  of  a  small  opening  at  each  end.  At 
this  point  the  cliffs  jut  into  the  lake,  and 
in  winter  they  are  festooned  and  royally 
embellished  with  lovely  ice-forms  of  every 
imaginable  shape.  A  formation  somewhat 
similar  is  seen  on  "Sand  Island"  of  the 
Apostle  Group,  where  the  beating  waves 
have  made  an  excavation  through  an  arm 
of  the  palisades  sufficiently  large  to  admit 
the  passage  of  a  row-boat. 

But  for  miles  the  vertical  and  gleam 
ing  white  bluffs  of  sandstone,  sometimes 
resembling  the  chalk  banks  of  Albion, 
distinguish  the  shore  line,  and  exhibit 
surprising  perforations  that  are  frequently 
large  enough  to  permit  a  boat  to  venture 
out  of  sight;  and  naturally  they  attract 
large  numbers  of  summer  tourists,  who 
find  in  these  caves,  like  the  "Bay  of 
Isles"  and  "Cave  of  the  Dark  Waters," 
excellent  trout  fishing. 

The  wonders  of  Lake  Superior's  shores 
do  not  terminate  at  Duluth,  for  the  walls 


THE  SEA-ELEPHANT,   LAKE  SUPERIOR. 


PAD-LOCK   ISLAND,   LAKE   SUPERIOR. 


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THE   ICE   PALACE  AT  ST.   PAUL  IN  1888. 


STORMING  THE  ST.   PAUL  ICE  PALACE— isss. 


342 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


rise  to  even  a  greater  height  on  the  north  line  and  are  of  green  sand 
stone  and  porphyry,  occasionally  twelve  hundred  feet  high.  The  St. 
Louis  River  enters  the  lake  from  the  northwest  at  Duluth;  and  though 
this  stream  is  barely  deep  enough  to  float  a  raft  of  logs,  it  runs  between 
lofty  banks  of  the  same  general  character  as  those  which  confine  the 
Great  Lake.  Enormous  palisades  line  the  north  shore  of  Superior, 
whose  columns  are  so  symmetrical  as  to  equal  the  best  productions  of 
the  sculptor's  art.  Pigeon  River  forms  part  of  the  boundary  line 
between  Canada  and  the  United  States,  and  is  a  stream  in  great  repute 
with  sportsmen,  and  also  offers  attractions  to  those  who  delight  in 
natural  scenery  of  a  sublime  character.  Pigeon  Falls  is  but  one  of 
many  interruptions  in  its  course  towards  the  lake,  the  pool  formed  by 
the  dropping  water  being  a  favorite  haunt  for  trout  and  salmon,  while 
in  the  numerous  lakes  near-by  are  myriads  of  water- fowls  that  have  their 
nesting-places  on  the  shores.  A  few  miles  toward  the  east  is  Nipi- 
gon  River,  another  beautiful  stream  that  connects  a  lake  of  the  same 
name  with  Superior.  It  is  somewhat  wider  than  Pigeon  River,  and  its 
shores  are  less  bluffy;  thus  the  current  being  less  rapid,  the  stream  is 
diversified  by  many  little  islands  that  are  so  green  with  pines,  hem 
locks  and  other  trees  as  to  look  like  emerald  gems.  But  all  along  the 
north  shore  are  scenes  of  great  beauty,  and  vast  stores  of  mineral 
wealth  in  iron  and  copper  lie  only  a  few  feet  beneath  the  surface;  yet 
notwithstanding  all  these  attractions,  the  region  is  rarely  visited  save 
by  Indians  and  sportsmen. 

We  reached  St.  Paul,  after  an  absence  of  nearly  one  month, 
and  there  met  our  photographer  who  had  gone  into  the  Black  Hills  in 
quest  of  views.  Being  thus  reunited,  we  started  down  the  Mississippi, 
but  by  rail,  as  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul  Railroad  follows 
the  bank  as  far  as  La  Crosse.  Several  stops  were  made,  however,  in 
order  to  catch  pictures  of  Fort  Snelling,  and  the  grand  bluffs  above 
and  below  Winona,  which  for  towering  magnificence  far  exceed  the 
hills  that  render  the  Hudson  famous.  Indeed,  considering  the  river 
from  St.  Paul  to  Pepin  Lake,  the  Mississippi's  shores  present  finer 
scenery  than  is  to  be  found  along  any  other  navigable  stream  on  either 
continent.  But  south  of  that  point  the  views  are  rather  monotonous 
until  Grafton  is  reached,  where  the  Piasa  Bluffs  begin  and  run  along 
the  river  for  twenty  miles,  exhibiting  not  only  great  vertical  height, 
but  curious  shapes,  and  at  one  point  some  very  ancient  Indian  picture 
writings. 


PETER'S  PILLAR,   LAKE  SUPERIOR. 


PIGEON  RIVER  FALLS,  NORTH  SHORE  OF  LAKE  SUPERIOR. 


OLD  FORT  SNELLING,  ON  THE  MISSISSIPPI   RIVER. 


CHAPTER  X. 

SCENIC  MARVELS  OF  THE  GREAT  NORTHEAST. 


j  UR  circuit  of  the  West  had  now  been  completed,  and  having  surrendered  the  camera  car  which  we  had  chartered,  we  made  nasty 
preparations  for  a  grand  tour  of  all  that  section  lying  east  of  the  Mississippi.     Before  departing  for  the  East,  however,  we  made  a 
flying  trip  over  the  St.  Louis  &  San  Francisco  Railroad  to  Eureka  Springs,  a  popular  health  resort  in  Northern  Arkansas,  surrounded 
by  some  very  beautiful  scenery  that  spreads  away  through  the  Ozark  and  Boston  Mountains  in  picturesque  grandeur,  diversified  by 
swift-flowing  streams,  deep  gorges,  terrible  bluffs  and  immense  caves  that  are  gorgeously  embellished  with  gigantic  stalactite  and 
stalagmite  formations.      If   these  magnificent   scenes  were    not    so    conveniently  near  a  large  city,  they  would  be  a  hundredfold  more 
famous,  for  it  is  human  nature  to  yearn  for  the  least  accessible  and  the  most  difficult  of  attainment.     In  short,  we  rarely  appreciate  the 

things  that  we  have,  and  exaggerate  the  importance  and 
attractiveness  of  places  which  are  remote.  It  is  this  pecu 
liarity  of  the  human  mind  that  makes  heaven  a  necessity  and 
immortality  a  natural  deduction,  the  irresistible  conclusion  of 
human  reason. 

We  tarried  one  week  in  St.  Louis  before  departing  for 
the  East,  and  then  again  divided  our  party,  one  of  our  pho 
tographers  proceeding  to  Pittsburgh,  and  thence  through 
Pennsylvania  and  Virginia,  taking  views  of  the  famous 
scenery  of  those  States,  while  the  other  two  whose  travels  we 
will  now  describe,  passed  northward  to  Chicago,  and  thence 
east  by  way  of  Niagara.  Having  heard  much  of  a  cele 
brated  point  known  as  Starved  Rock,  on  the  Illinois  River,  a 
place  of  commanding  interest  in  the  history  of  La  Salle  and 
his  adventurous  companions,  we  resolved  to  stop  at  Ottawa,  en 
route  to  Chicago,  and  make  a  photograph  of  the  historic  rock. 
We  reached  Ottawa  by  the  Chicago,  Burlington  and  Quincy 
Road,  and  thence  by  driving  ten  miles  in  a  spring  wagon  we 
gained  the  spot  made  celebrated  through  a  tradition  which  is 
as  romantic  as  it  is  tragic. 

Starved  Rock  is  now  the  property  of  a  company,  and  is 
situated  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Illinois  River,  near  the  foot  of 


STARVED   ROCK,   ON   ILLINOIS   RIVER,   NEAR  OTTAWA,   ILLINOIS. 


the  rapids.  It  is  a  perpendicular  bluff  of  limestone,  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high,  and  is  crowned  with  oaks  and  other  forest  trees. 
The  water  front  presents  a  precipitous  wall,  but  there  is  a  slope  towards  an  adjoining  bluff  by  which  it  is  alone  accessible.  The  summit 
has  an  area  of  about  one  acre,  but  is  a  natural  stronghold;  and  perceiving  its  advantages,  La  Salle,  on  his  first  return  trip  to  Canada, 
ordered  his  Indian  lieutenant,  named  Tonti,  to  fortify  himself  upon  the  Rock,  supplying  him  with  one  small  cannon  for  that  purpose. 
Tonti  carried  out  these  orders,  and,  it  is  said,  died  and  was  buried  upon  the  Rock.  Years  afterward,  the  place  became  conspicuous  in  the 
Indian  wars;  and  it  is  related  that  after  the  killing  of  Pontiac,  chief  of  the  Ottawas,  in  a  drunken  row  at  Cahokia,  some  of  his  people 
345 


BASIN  SPRINGS,   EUPEKA  SPRINGS,   ARKANSAS,  ON  ST.   LOUIS   AND  SAN   FRANCISCO  RAILROAD. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


347 


charged  the  Illinois  tribe  with  the  crime  and  made  war  upon  them.  Being  feeble  in  numbers,  they  were  driven  before  the  Ottawas  so 
remorselessly  that  as  a  last  resort  they  took  refuge  on  Starved  Rock.  Here  they  were  able  to  hold  their  enemies  at  bay,  but  their  distress 
was  none  the  less  because  of  their  ability  to  prevent  a  scaling  of  their  stronghold,  for  the  Ottawas  besieged  the  Rock  and  effectually 
prevented  the  Illinois  from  securing  any  supplies.  Water  was  for  awhile  procured  by  means  of  vessels  attached  to  ropes  of  bark,  which 
were  let  down  into  the  stream.  But  this  device  was  presently  discovered  and  prevented  by  the  Ottawas  coming  under  the  bluff  in  canoes 
and  cutting  the  ropes.  Unwilling  to  surrender  and  run  the  risk  of  torture,  the  unfortunate  Illinois  remained  in  the  place  of  their  retreat 
until  one  by  one  they  died  of  starvation.  This  is  the  tradition  current  in  La  Salle  county,  and  the  finding  of  many  Indian  relics  and 
bones  011  the  Rock  tend  to  confirm  its  truthfulness. 

From  Chicago  we  went  east  over  the  Michigan  Central  to  Niagara  Falls,  that  greatest  of  natural  wonders,  a  sublime  apotheosis  of 

omnipotence,  a  glorification  of  the  immeas 
urable  power  that  nature  possesses,  in  whose 

roar  we  distinguish  the  hallelujah  chorus  of 

centuries  and  peans  of  praise  to  the  mightiness 

of  Deity. 

Niagara  Falls,  the  supreme  natural  mar 
vel  of  both  continents,  is  divided  into  two  cat 
aracts,  viz.:  American  Falls,  flowing  towards 

the  American  or  western  side,  and  Horseshoe 

Falls,  which  discharges  towards  the  Canada 

side,  the  two  being  separated  by  Goat  Island. 

The  height  of  the  former  is  one  hundred  and 

four  feet,  and  the  latter,  owing  to  a  limestone 

strata  not  yet  worn  away,  is  one  foot  higher, 

by  which  it  is  reasonably  concluded  that  at 

one  time  nearly  all  the  flow  was  towards  the 

American  side,    because  the  discharge  over 

the  western  fall  is  not  now  so  great  as  that 

towards  the  Canada  side.     This  tremendous 

flood  of  waters  is  from  Lake  Erie  through 

Niagara   River  into  Lake  Ontario,   and  the 

retrogression  of  the  cataradl,  caused  by  the 
LOOKOUT,  ON   THE   ROAD  TO   HOMER.      wearing    of    the    Hmestone   ledgej    inclines 

geologists  to  the  opinion  that  the  flow  has  continued  for  a  period  of  not  less  than  thirty-seven  thousand  years.  The  width  of  Niagara 
River  at  the  falls  is  forty-five  hundred  feet,  of  which  American  Falls  occupies  eleven  hundred  feet,  Goat  Island  fourteen  hundred  feet,  and 
Horseshoe  Falls  two  thousand  feet,  though  the  deep  curve  in  the  latter,  whence  its  name  is  derived,  makes  the  line  of  fall  more  than  three 
thousand  feet.  It  has  been  estimated  that  the  discharge  exceeds  one  billion  gallons  of  water  every  twelve  hours,  and  that  the  force  thus 
developed  is  equal  to  something  more  than  one  million  horse-power. 

The  landscape  on  either  side  of  the  falls  has  little  of  the  picturesque  or  tumultuous  about  it,  being  generally  slightly  rolling,  and 
giving  no  indication  of  eruptive  disturbance;  so  that  scientists  are  still  searching  for  a  plausible  theory  upon  which  to  base  a  conclusion  as 
to  the  cause  that  produced  this  sudden  dip  in  the  limestone  formation. 


THE 


BARN   BLUFF,   NEAR   RED  WING,   MINNESOTA. 


348 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


The   astounding    power  displayed  by  the   river  dropping   over  a  wide  and  lofty  ledge   is  scarcely  more  bewildering  than  that 
exhibited  by  the  Rapids,  which  extend  for  half  a  mile  from  the  point  of  descent,  and  meeting  a  swift  current,  the  flood  is  lashed  into  a  fury 

that  is  frightful  to  behold,  ris- ^ 

ing  in  the  center  like  huge 
beasts  in  combat,  and  tossing 
wave-caps  nearly  fifty  feet 
above  the  surface.  At  times 
the  spray  rises  in  such  clouds 
as  to  completely  obscure  the 
falls,  and  borne  some  distance 
by  the  winds  is  condensed,  and 
a  long-continued  rain  follows, 
which  renders  a  considerable 
stay  in  the  neighborhood  some 
what  disagreeable. 

While  an  admirable  view 
of  the  falls  may  be  obtained 
from  many  points  of  observa 
tion  on  the  bridge,  or  along 
both  shores,  the  greatest  inter 
est  attaches  to  a  visit  to  the 
noisy  caverns  that  are  behind 
the  descending  flood.  These 
may  be  reached  by  means  of 
spiral  stairways  built  for  the 
purpose,  but  the  visitor  must 
prepare  for  the  trip  by  invest 
ing  himself  in  a  suit  of  oil-skin, 
and  for  awhile  must  assume  the 
character  of  an  amphibian.  At 
the  bottom  of  the  deep  descent 
are  stones  in  great  confusion, 
over  which  we  must  scramble 
to  reach  the  Cave-of-the- Winds, 
a  watery  grotto  indeed,  in 
which  the  air  is  agitated  by 
the  thundering  cataract  that 
fairly  envelopes  you.  The 

scene  here  is  beyond  the  scope  of  pen  or  brush,  for  these  appeal  only  to  sight  and  understanding,  while  the  awful  presence  conjures  all  the 
senses.     Behind  the  giant  curtain  of  waterfall  is  a  greenish  reflection,  weird  in  its  intensity  and  unnatural  ness,  and  to  the  ears  there  conies 


VIEW  OF   FORT  SNELLING   FROM   THE   MISSISSIPPI. 


HARDING  SPRING   AND   ROCK,   EUREKA  SPRINGS,   ARKANSAS,  ON  ST.   LOUIS  AND  SAN  FRANCISCO  RAILROAD. 


350 

a  muffled  roar  which,  while  not  jar 
ring,  yet  seems  to  pervade  and  pene 
trate  like  the  dull  rumble  of  an 
earthquake.  This  uncertain  dis 
turbance,  which  confuses  with 
strange  noise,  is  intensified  by  a 
wind  that  is  here  created  by  what  ap 
pears  to  be  some  mysterious  agency; 
and  other  curious  things  are  noted 
that  suggest  to  the  imaginative  mind 
a  region  of  the  supernatural,  where 
indistinct  voices  warn  and  then  in 
vite,  but  are  always  clamorous,  like 
a  crowd  of  bedlamites. 

Below  the  falls  the  river  narrows 
to  eight -hundred  feet,  between  pre 
cipitous  walls,  which  add  swiftness  to 
the  current,  and  three  miles  from 
Horseshoe  Falls  the  impetuous  stream 
strikes  a  point  of  projecting  land  in 
such  a  manner  that  a  terrible  whirl 
pool  is  created,  capable  of  sucking 
down  a  large  steamboat.  By  means 
of  a  car,  which  is  controlled  by  a 
cable,  visitors  may  ride  down  the 
very  steep  incline  to  the  edge  of 
Whirlpool  Rapids  and  view  in  safety 
the  awful,  mad-lashing  waters, 
swirling  with  extraordinary  rapidity 
and  throwing  high  the  tousled  heads 
of  ravening  waves,  which  appear  to 
be  lusting  for  victims  and  bellowing 
for  vengeance.  It  is  gratifying  to 
know  that  the  almost  incomputable 
power  of  Niagara  is  soon  to  be  trans 
mitted,  through  the  generation  of 
electricity,  to  mills  and  machinery, 
and  thus  utilized  to  the  honor  of 
human  genius  as  well  as  to  the  glory 
of  God. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


AMERICAN  FALLS,  VIEWED  FROM  GOAT  ISLAND 


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NIAGARA   FROZEN. 


352 

Great  changes  occurring  in  Niagara  Falls, 
•which  though  slow  and  remittent,  are  no  less 
certain  to  destroy  the  grandeur  of  that  incom 
parable  waterfall  some  time  in  the  very  remote 
future.  It  is  a  well-demonstrated  fact  that 
Niagara  River  has  excavated  the  gorge 
through  which  it  runs,  and  within  recent 
years  such  immense  masses  of  the  ledge-stone 
have  been  detached  by  the  gnawing  waters 
as  to  cause  an  appreciable  recession  of  the 
cataract,  and  a  corresponding  lengthening  of 
the  gorge.  It  is  recorded  that  in  1818  very 
large  fragments  of  limestone  were  wrenched 
from  the  surface-bed  and  cast  over  Horseshoe 
Falls,  and  another  similar  result  occurred  in 
1855.  But  each  year,  and  constantly,  the 
erosion  is  marked,  so  that  Table  Rock,  for 
merly  a  striking  feature  of  the  river,  has  been 
worn  away  so  completely  that  no  present 
sign  of  it  now  remains.  It  has  been  com 
puted  by  Sir  Charles  Lyell  that  the  average 
rate  of  recession  is  about  one  foot  annually, 
counting  for  the  past  thousand  years;  but  as 
before  stated,  the  erosive  results  are  spas 
modic.  There  is  now  eighty  feet  of  hard 
limestone  composing  the  surface-rock,  and  it 
will  probably  require  ten  thousand  years  for 
the  rushing  waters  to  eat  this  away;  after 
that,  however,  the  wear  will  be  rapid,  and  in 
course  of  centuries  the  falls  will  have  disap 
peared,  and  only  a  tremendous  gorge  will 
remain  in  their  stead.  Many  wonderful  spec 
tacles  have  taken  place  at  the  falls,  the  most 
interesting  of  which  was  the  sending  adrift 
of  a  condemned  lake  vessel,  drawing  eighteen 
feet  of  water,  in  1829,  which  passed  over  the 
brink  without  touching  bottom,  and  was 
dashed  in  pieces  on  the  rocks  below.  This 
experiment  was  made  to  test  the  depth  of 
water  on  the  brink  of  the  precipice. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


BRIDAL  VEIL  FALLS,  NIAGARA. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


353 


There  is  a  weary  sameness  to  the  generally  level  or  prairie  scenery  which  lies  between  the  Mississippi  River  and  New  York  State,  if 
we  except  the  rather  pleasing  diversity  of  well-cultivated  farms,  prosperous  towns,  and  evidences  of  thrift  that  are  everywhere  noticeable. 
But  there  is  more  than  the  greatness  of  commercial  and  industrial  empire  to  recommend  New  York  to  the  sight-seer,  for  some  of  the  most 
charming  scenery  to  be  found  anywhere  in  the  world  is  within  her  borders,  matching  for  sublimity  even  the  most  marvelous  views  which 
we  have  described.  And  additional  fascination  attaches  to  many  of  her  noted  places  on  account  of  the  Indian  names  which  have  been 

jealously  preserved  in  her  ge 
ography.  The  Mohawk  Valley 
is  at  once  a  lovely  vale  and  a 
reminder  of  Cooper's  "Leather 
Stocking  Stories;"  and  so  are 
her  hundred  rivers  and  lakes 
that  bear  the  designations  be 
stowed  upon  them,  either  by 
some  of  the  once-powerful 
tribes,  or  which  perpetuate  the 
fame  of  their  great  chiefs,  the 
shades  of  whom  seem  to  linger 
about  Seneca,  Cayuga,  Oneida, 
Oswego,  Canandiagua,  Chau- 
tauqua,  Keuka,  Skaneateles, 
over  which  they  once  skimmed 
in  light  canoes.  The  romance 
with  which  these  beautiful 
waters  are  invested  would  draw 
us  irresistibly  to  their  shores 
were  there  no  other  attractions; 
but  to  these  delightful  tradi 
tions  of  a  vanished  people  are 
the  added  charms  of  sylvan 
glades,  exposing  vistas  of  ex 
quisite  landscape,  blue  waters 
dimpled  by  soft  winds,  swift- 
racing  streams  dashing  under 
overarching  shades,  and  wild 
chasms  that  imprison  echo  and 
After  picturing  the  wonders 


HECTOR  FALLS,  WATKIN'S  GLEN,   IN   WINTER. 


exhibit  some  of  the  most  astounding  results  of  glacial  action,  abetted  by  upheaval,  depression  and  erosion, 
of  Niagara,  therefore,  two  of  our  party  made  a  trip  over  the  New  York  Central  Line  and  its  connection,  to  Geneva,  a  beautiful  town 
on  the  north  shore  of  Seneca  Lake,  which  in  many  respects  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  bodies  of  water  in  the  world.  The  lake 
is  about  forty  miles  in  length,  but  it  is  a  mere  strip,  rarely  exceeding  two  miles  in  width,  yet  has  the  extraordinary  depth  of  six 
hundred  feet,  so  that  it  is  evidently  a  basin  created  by  the  same  convulsion  that  wrought  the  surprising  results  which  render  the  Glens  at 


23 


354 

the  south  end  famous  beyond  comparison,  as  will 
be  presently  described.  It  is  particularly  strange 
that  such  a  tremendous  cleft  should  be  made 
without  showing  a  wider  extent  of  disturbance, 
though  the  shores  are  a  succession  of  promontories, 
sweeping  back  in  graceful  undulations  and  well- 
wooded  slopes,  save  where  industry  has  converted 
the  hills  into  fruitful  fields. 

The  trip  from  Geneva  to  Watkins,  which 
covers  the  extreme  length  of  the  lake,  is  comfort 
ably  and  enjoyably  made  by  means  of  fine  steamers, 
which  land  at  many  intermediate  points,  and  give 
summer  tourists  opportunity  for  thoroughly  exam 
ining  the  towns  and  beautiful  banks  along  the  way. 
Watkins,  which  is  the  objective  place  of  all  pleas 
ure  travelers,  has  its  feet  bathed  by  Seneca  Lake, 
and  its  head  shaded  by  the  brow  of  Buck  Mount 
ain,  at  whose  base  is  the  main  street,  running 
parallel  therewith.  Following  this  street  a  short 
distance,  the  visitor  reaches  a  bridge  that  affords 
passage  over  a  small  stream,  and  proceeding  along 
the  banks  of  this  little  water-course  for  less  than 
half  a  mile,  he  is  suddenly  confronted  by  a  massive 
and  lofty  natural  wall  that  prevents  further  pro 
gress.  Stairways,  however,  have  been  built,  by 
which  we  mounted  to  the  summit  of  this  wonder 
ful  masonry,  and  from  that  eminence  surveyed  the 
matchless  scenery  of  Watkin's  Glen.  But  the  view 
is  interrupted  by  intervening  precipices  and  densely 
wooded  copses,  so  that  to  see  the  amazing  wonders 
and  the  bewildering  beauties  of  this  marvelously 
diversified  region  a  tour  of  its  many  attractions  is 
necessary.  To  do  this  requires  a  pair  of  strong 
legs  and  good  breath,  for  the  climbing  is  severely 
taxing,  though  owing  to  the  substantial  and  well 
protected  stairways  is  never  dangerous. 

Passing  through  Glen  Alpha,  where  the 
awful  sublimity  of  a  tremendous  chasm  oppresses 
the  visitor  on  first  view,  we  caught  sight  of  Twin 
Falls,  where  the  waters  pour  down  in  two  great 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


CAVERN  CASCADE,  WATKIN'S  GLEN,   IN  WINTER. 


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356 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


sluices  and  become  wedded  in  a  swirling  pool  that  pours  out  the  overflow  through  a  cation  whose  walls  have  been  scarified  by  the  teeth  of 
centuries.  Below  the  falls  is  Whirlpool  Gorge,  an  amphitheater  that  is  striated  and  terraced  into  forms  so  variable  as  to  please  every 
conceit  and  yet  arouse  amaze 
ment.  The  stream  dashes  into 
this  capricious  auditorium  at  a 
maddening  pace,  but  encounters 
resistance  in  the  curving  walls, 
and  is  thus  thrown  into  a  rapid, 
whirling  movement  like  a  mael 
strom;  and  this  rotary  action 
of  the  waters  has  worn  the 
half-encircling  walls  into  many 
singular,  though  usually  sym 
metrical  shapes. 

Climbing  out  of  Whirlpool 
Gorge  and  moving  southward  a 
short  distance  along  a  railed 
ledge,  we  come  in  sight  of 
Peek-a-boo  Falls,  a  beautiful 
sheet  of  water  plunging  over  a 
precipice  fifty  feet  high,  and 
scattering  its  spray  along  the 
walls  that  confine  its  descent, 
for  the  chasm  is  very  narrow 
here,  and  charming  for  its  syl 
van  weirdness.  The  cliffs  are 
very  pictures  in  stone,  rising  in 
tiers  and  carved  into  fantastic 
forms,  while  the  overhanging 
trees,  graceful  ferns  and  velvety 
mosses  make  the  place  a  bower 
in  which  fairies  might  delight 
to  dwell. 

Though  both  Watkins  and 
Havana  Glens  are  gems  of  nat 
ure  in  summer-time,  their  rarest 
robes  of  beauty  are  worn  in 
winter,  when  the  Ice  King  takes  WATKIN'S  CASCADE  FROZEN. 

them  in  his  embrace  and  bejewels  them  with  crystals  more  exquisite  than  ever  graced  a  royal  bride.     For  the  winter  views  which  are  here 
presented  we  are  indebted  to  other  photographers,  as  we  are  also  for  the  frost  pictures  of  the  Lake  Superior  coast,  as  our  visit  was  made  in 


GIANT'S  GORGE,   IN  CHATEAUGAY   CHASM. 


WHIRLPOOL   GORGE,  WATKIN'S  GLEN.. 


358 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


the  summer-time.  Examples  of  the  sublime  magnifi 
cence,  the  divine-like  embellishment  of  Watkin's  Glen, 
when  the  lips  of  winter  have  kissed  the  noisy  waterfalls 
into  frozen  silence,  are  seen  in  the  illustrations  of  Cavern 
Cascade,  and  Hector  Falls,  and  Watkin's  Cascade,  where 
the  frost-sprites  and  the  little  children  of  the  snow  hide 
beneath  opalescent  icicles  and  light  the  lamp  of  joy  in 
grottoes  that  open  toward  the  voiceless  gorge. 

Further  up  the  chasm,  where  the  broken  fronts  of 
vertical  walls  begin,  is  a  quiet  retreat  known  as  the 
Council  Chamber,  spanned  by  a  pretty  bridge  that  is  hung 
upon  opposite  ledges  and  conducts  to  a  passage  that  runs 
along  a  shelf,  then  down  a  stairs  to  a  path  that  leads 
from  the  water's  edge  to  the  town.  The  walls  that  en 
close  this  strip  of  river  are  exceedingly  beautiful,  built 
up  as  they  are  with  thin  layers,  of  a  few  inches'  thickness, 
'  each  strata  being  very  distinct,  and  the  face  of  the  cliffs 
wrought  into  lovely  shapes,  with  shelfs  here  and  there  as 
if  inviting  lovers  to  seek  them  for  the  delightful  seclusion 
which  they  offer.  The  glen  is  about  three  miles  in  length, 
and  the  walls  frequently  three  hundred  feet  in  height, 
with  enough  variableness  in  the  scenery  to  make  it  a 
source  of  unwearying  admiration. 

Three  miles  south  of  Watkin's  Glen,  and  properly  a 
continuation,  for  there  is  really  a  very  brief  interruption 
in  the  rugged  character  of  the  valley,  is  Havana  Glen, 
quite  as  famous  as  its  adjacent  brother.  The  cliffs  here 
are  scarcely  so  vertical,  but  the  general  formation  is 
practically  the  same,  and  similar  means  are  provided  for 
viewing  its  wonders  to  advantage.  Bridal  Veil  Falls  is 
Havana's  most  alluring  object,  and  well  do  they  repay 
the  tourist  for  his  visit.  The  water  at  this  point  falls 
thirty  feet  down  a  very  steep  slope  in  a  great  column  that, 
contracted  at  the  plunge,  spreads  as  it  flows  over  a  suc 
cession  of  terraces  and  dashes  into  the  deep  stream  below 
with  sullen  roar. 

Portland  Cascade  is  another  charming  fall,  but  the 
chasm  being  wider  at  this  point  and  broken  by  many 
shelves,  the  water  flows  with  less  turbulence,  though  the 
cascades  are  made  more  beautiful  by  spreading  into  thin, 


PORTLAND  CASCADE,  HAVANA  GLEN. 


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360 

veil-like  sheets,  so  transparent  that  the  wall 
behind  them  is  visible.  A  bridge  is  thrown 
across  the  leaping  stream,  from  which  a  glo 
rious  view  is  had  of  the  chasm  as  it  winds 
away  towards  the  south,  while  the  copse  which 
fringes  the  western  edge  constitutes  a  bower  of 
extraordinary  loveliness. 

Eagle  Falls,  a  hundred  yards  below  the 
cascades,  is,  perhaps,  the  most  daintily  ex 
quisite  object  in  all  this  vale  of  natural  won 
ders,  a  very  poem  of  beauty  and  charming 
sequestration,  where  the  brown  cliffs  sleep  to  the 
lullaby  of  flowing  waters,  and  the  wild  flowers 
listen  to  the  murmurs  of  the  breeze.  Stairs 
lead  to  the  brink,  under  overarching  trees  that 
provide  a  delightful  nook,  but  a  more  entranc 
ing  view  is  obtainable  from  the  bottom  of  the 
charming  dell  into  which  the  waters  fall. 
There  is  neither  grandeur  nor  sublimity  in  the 
sight  afforded,  but  a  soft  witchery,  a  gentle 
soul-rapture  that  is  kin  to  inspiration  in  the 
monody  of  the  stream  as  it  pours  over  the 
ledge  in  a  rhythm  that  is  as  musical  as  April 
rain  upon  a  cottager's  roof,  and  shimmers  in 
its  fall  like  a  lace  curtain  stirred  by  the  wind. 
Eagle  Falls  is  plainly  a  misnomer,  for  the 
name  suggests  a  thing  of  prey.  The  Nymphs' 
Bath  is  more  appropriate,  for  here  it  would 
seem  that  all  the  little  people  of  the  water  and 
the  wood  might  find  what  Titania  and  Diana 
longed  for — a  place  of  absolute  seclusion, 
"where  the  bright  eyes  of  angels  only  might 
behold  a  paradise  so  pure  and  lonely." 

Having  feasted  our  sight,  and  caught  the 
spirit  of  inspiration  that  haunts  the  romantic 
retreats  of  Havana  Glen,  we  departed  north 
ward  and  took  a  train  on  the  Rome,  Watertown 
and  Ogdensburg  Railroad  for  Clayton,  situated 
on  the  south  bank  of  the  St.  Lawrence  River, 
near  where  it  receives  the  flow  from  Ontario 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


EAGLE  FALLS,  HAVANA  GLEN. 


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362 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


Lake.  At  this  point  steamer  was  taken  for  a  ride 
among  the  Thousand  Islands  to  Ogdensburg,  a  trip 
more  charming  than  our  remembrance  of  love's  first 
dream.  This  part  of  the  river  is  broken  into  many 
channels  that  meander  through  avenues  worn  in  the 
granite  which  confines  its  course.  The  Thousand 
Islands  is  no  misnomer,  for  they  seem  to  be  beyond 
number,  scattered  like  a  myriad  of  emeralds,  with 
deep  water  between,  and  yet  so  close  together  that 
they  may  almost  reach  hands  across  the  breach.  Every 
islet  is  a  dome  of  rock,  ground  into  symmetrical  shape 
by  glacial  action  long  ago,  then  covered  by  a  sediment 
from  the  river  sufficient  to  support  a  profuse  vegeta 
tion.  The  Canada  pine  is  conspicuous,  lifting  its 
scraggy  head  to  a  great  height,  and  pointing  its  stout 
branches  in  every  direction,  a  stately  figure  among  the 
brushwood  that  surrounds  it. 

Many  of  the  islands  are  only  little  green  dots 
scarcely  large  enough  for  a  fairy's  bower,  while  others 
are  of  considerable  size,  occupied  by  lovely  villas,  the 
resort  of  those  wealthy  enough  to  own  beautiful  summer 
houses  where  the  air  is  fragrant  with  sweetest  odors, 
and  the  gamest  fish  invite  the  enthusiastic  angler. 

Departing  from  Ogdensburg,  one  of  our  party 
proceeded  to  Montreal,  by  way  of  Ottawa,  to  photo 
graph  some  Canada  scenery  in  the  vicinity  of  those 
cities,  while  the  other  took  train  for  Chateaugay,  each 
mapping  out  for  himself  the  work  to  be  done  in  the 
regions  which  he  had  chosen  to  picture.  Chateaugay 
is  in  the  extreme  northeastern  part  of  New  York  and 
about  thirty  miles  from  Lake  Champlain.  A  river  of 
the  same  name  flows  by  the  place  and  through  some 
scenery  which  is  almost  matchless  in  marvelous  grand 
eur,  probably  excelling  in  extraordinary  cleavage  that 
found  in  Watkin's  and  Havana  Glens.  Giant  Gorge  is 
one  of  the  first  tremendous  rents  which  we  observe 
in  the  chasms  of  Chateaugay  River,  but  several  other 
precipitously  walled  canons  occur  between  that  point 
and  Chateaugay  Lake,  twenty  miles  below,  where 
the  Adirondack  Mountain  region  begins,  with  its 


GIANT  FALLS,   AUSABLE  CHASM. 


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364 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


wilderness  of  untamable  savagery-,  as  wild  now  as  when  its  rugged  solitudes  were  first  disturbed  by  an  invading  Indian  seeking  the  game 
that  there  abounded.  This  darksome  haunt  of  nature  is  cleft  by  the  Saranac,  Raquette,  Boquet  and  Ausable  Rivers,  and  in  these  gloomy 
recesses  whence  the  day  is  dispelled  are  the  lake  sources  of  the  noble  Hudson. 

Crossing  over  to  Lake  Champlain,  we  took  a  Delaware  and  Hudson  Railroad  train  at  Plattsburgh  and  rode  down  to  Port  Kent  and 
thence  visited  Ausable  Chasm  near-by.  Indian  Pass  is  also  in  the  same  vicinity.  The  scenery  is  a  repetition  of  that  in  Watkin's  Glen, 
with  the  added  interest  of  a 
more  considerable  stream,  upon 
which  boating  is  a  royal  pleas 
ure.  The  freshness  which 
description  by  another  writer 
may  furnish  is  my  excuse  for 
introducing  the  following  from 
the  pen  of  Alfred  B.  Street: 

"At  North  Elba  we  crossed 
a  bridge  where  the  Ausable 
comes  winding  down,  and  then 
followed  its  banks  to  the  north 
east,  with  thick  woods  contin 
ually  around  us,  and  the  little 
river  shooting  darts  of  light  at 
us  through  the  leaves.  At 
length,  a  broad  summit,  rising 
to  a  taller  one,  broke  above  the 
foliage  at  our  right,  and  at  the 
same  time  a  gigantic  mass  of 
rock  and  forest  saluted  us,  and 
we  stood  before  the  giant  por 
tals  of  the  Notch.  As  we 
entered,  the  pass  suddenly 
shrank,  pressing  the  river  into 
a  deep  and  narrow  stream.  It 
was  a  chasm  cloven  boldly 
through  White-Face,  so  that  on 
each  side  towered  the  mountain 
escarpment;  on  the  left,  the 


ELBOW   FALLS,   AUSABLE   CHASM. 


range  rose  in  still  sublimer  altitude,  with  grand  precipices,  like  a  majestic  wall  or  a  line  of  palisades,  climbing  sheer  from  the  half-way 
forest  upward.  The  crowded  rows  of  pines  along  the  broken  and  wavy  crest  were  diminished  to  a  mere  fringe.  As  we  rowed  slowly 
through  the  still  narrowing  gorge,  the  mountains  soared  higher  and  higher,  as  if  to  scale  the  clouds,  presenting  truly  a  terrific  aspect.  I 
shrank  within  myself,  and  appeared  to  dwindle  beneath  it.  Something  akin  to  dread  pervaded  the  scene.  The  mountains  appeared  to  be 
knitting  their  brows  into  threatening  frowns  at  our  daring  intrusion  into  the  solitudes.  Nothing  seemed  native  to  the  awful  landscape  but 


; 


VIEW  OF  THE  THOUSAND  ISLANDS  IN  ST.  LAWRENCE  RIVER. 


366 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


the  plunge  of  the  torrent  and  the  scream  of  the  eagle.  Below,  at  our  left,  the  dark  Ausable  dashed  onward  with  hoarse,  foreboding 
murmurs,  in  harmony  with  the  loneliness  and  wildness  of  the  spot." 

From  the  top  of  Mount  Marcy,  overlooking  Indian  Pass,  the  view  is  inspiring  in  its  expansive  and  tumultous  grandeur.  Towards 
the  southeast  gleams  the  white  crest  of  Boreas  Mountain,  and  rising  beyond  is  the  leaning  tower-like  peak  of  the  Dial,  which  pays  its 
obeisance  to  Dix's  Peak,  that  from  afar  exhibits  the  form  of  a  crouching  lion.  "Thence  stagger  the  wild,  savage  and  splintered  tops  of 
Gothic  Mountain,  at  the  Lower 
Ausable  Pond,  linking  them 
selves  on  the  east  with  the 
Noon-Mark  and  Roger's  Mount 
ains,  that  watch  over  Keene's 
Valley.  To  the  northeast  rise 
the  Edmonds  Pond  Summits — 
the  mountain-picture  closed  by 
the  sharp  crest  of  Old  White- 
Face,  the  stately  outpost  of  the 
Adirondacks." 

A  trip  through  Ausable 
Chasm  is  one  of  unspeakable 
delight  and  enrapturing  sur 
prises.  Just  above  the  point 
where  the  chasm  begins  there 
is  an  old  mill,  once  run  by  a 
wheel  driven  by  a  sluice  con 
nected  with  the  river,  but  steam 
has  superseded  this  natural 
power  and  detracted  somewhat 
from  the  interest  which  would 
otherwise  invest  the  place. 
The  dam  is  still  there,  how 
ever,  and  over  its  brink  the 
water  flows  in  softest  measures, 
to  strike  the  rocky  shelves  be 
low,  where  it  boils  and  brawls 
in  confused  dismemberment  un 
til  joined  again  in  an  unbroken 

stream.  The  banks  rise  rapidly,  while  the  river  draws  deeper  into  its  bed,  until  presently  making  a  leap  at  Giant  Falls  it  plunges  into  a 
great  gorge  whose  walls  have  been  eaten  by  the  floods  and  ice  of  centuries.  But  it  is  by  a  succession  of  falls  and  cataracts  that  the  stream 
reaches  its  greatest  depression,  which  is  known  as  the  Grand  Flume.  Elbow  Falls  scarcely  deserve  to  be  dignified  by  so  large  a  title,  as 
they  are  rapids  rather  than  falls;  but  for  beauty  they  are  almost  incomparable,  and  afford  an  opportunity  for  the  painter's  brush  as  great  as 
may  be  found  anywhere  in  the  Adirondacks. 


THE  SUMMIT 


WHITE-FACE   MOUNTAIN. 


AUSABLE   RIVER,  NEAR  THE   HEAD  OF   THE  CHASM. 


368 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


The  chasm  rapidly  deepens  and  narrows  below 
Elbow  Falls,  and  becomes  a  wild  gorge  of  intricate 
mightiness  at  a  point  called  the  Oven.  The  walls  are 
lifted  so  high  above  the  stream,  with  their  crenated 
fronts  exhibiting  so  many  quaintly  distorted  and  terribly 


KAATERSKILL   FALLS,  CATSKILL   MOUNTAINS. 


AUSABLE  CHASM,   BELOW  THE  OVEN. 


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AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


jagged  projections  that  the  effect  is  most  bewildering,  while  in  places  they  are  opposed  with  only  a  few  feet  between,  giving  to  the  passage 
the  oppression  of  a  prison.  Hell  Gate  is  not  inappropriately  named,  because  it  is  in  a  way  begirt  with  difficulties  that  render  boating 
dangerous.  The  river  is  here  greatly  compressed,  but  the  channel  is  not  sufficiently  deep  to  hide  the  sharp-pointed  rocks  that  split  the 
stream  and  convert  it  into  a  rapid,  but  by  means  of  stairs  this  interrupted  water-way  may  be  passed,  and  below  are  boats  in  which 
the  pleasant  passage  may  be  continued  through  Grand  Flume.  This  is  the  loveliest  part  of  the  chasm,  the  most  picturesque  section  of  this 
wonderful  river,  sublime  in  its 
grandeur,  yet  idyllic  in  its  poetic 
and  dreamy  beauty,  where  the 
Oreads  might  have  sported  while 
Diana  pursued  the  deer  that 
have  for  ages  made  these  mount 
ain  fastnesses  their  favorite 
haunts,  for 

"Here  were  her  orchards,  walled  on 

every  side, 
To  lawless  sylvans  all  access  denied." 

From  Ausable  station, 
which  may  be  reached  by  rail, 
a  road  leads  southward  through 
Ausable  Forks,  by  White-Face 
Mountain,  and  thence  into  the 
very  heart  of  the  Adirondacks. 
This  remarkable  tract  lies  prin 
cipally  between  Lakes  Cham- 
plain  and  George,  and  covers 
an  area  of  nearly  5,000  square 
miles,  with  one  arm  reaching 
northward  to  the  St.  Lawrence 
and  another  southward  as  far 
as  Saratoga.  Within  this  dis 
trict  there  are  said  to  be  no  less 
than  500  mountain  peaks, 
several  of  which  are  5,000  feet 
high,  measured  above  the  sea 
level,  and  as  many  as  1,000 

lakes.     Owing  to  the  ruggedness  of  the  country,  its  dense  forests,  numerous  water-ways  and  prodigious  chasms,  the  region  was  a  compara 
tively  unexplored  wilderness  forty  years  ago,  and  until  its  vast  lumber  interest  attracted  the  attention  of  capitalists. 

Some  of  the  loftiest  peaks  are  Mounts  Morris,  Marcy, White-Face,  Seward,  Pharoah,  Dix  and  Snowy  Mountain,  and  of  the  lakes  there 
are  Tupper,  Saranac,  Long,  Avalanche,  Clear,  Henderson,  Raquette,  Newcomb,  Pleasant,  and  many  others  scarcely  less  in  size  and  famous 
for  the  game-fish  that  swarm  in  their  transparent  waters.  As  a  hunting-ground  the  Great  North  Wilderness,  as  it  is  often  called,  is  probably 


HOGG'S  RIVER  FALLS,   ADIRONDACKS. 


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372 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


the  best  now  to  be  found  anywhere  in  the  United  States,  abounding  as  it  does  in  deer,  bear,  panther,  wolf,  wolverene,  and  immense  numbers 
of  smaller  game,  so  that  whether  lost  or  found,  a  man  with  a  loaded  gun  need  never  go  hungry  in  the  Adirondacks. 

It  is  not  surprising  that  a  region  noted  for  its  mountains,  lakes  and  dense  forests,  should  abound  with  features  magnificently 
picturesque;  and  those  who 
visit  the  Adirondacks  in  search 
of  the  wildest  beauties  of  nature 
will  not  make  the  trip  in  vain. 
It  is  the  Switzerland  of  America, 
equaling  the  best  scenery  of 
that  country,  and  exceeding  it 
in  some  respects,  .notably  its 
intricate  chain  of  lakes,  its 
flaming  chasms,  and  the  soli 
tudes  of  its  deep  wildernesses, 
so  tangled  and  intricate  that 
more  than  two-thirds  remain 
yet  to  be  explored.  Night 
in  these  fastnesses  is  inexpres 
sibly  doleful  and  at  times  fearful. 
The  Black  Forest  of  Germany 
is  not  nearly  so  lonely,  nor  is 
the  Brocken  so  ominous  with 
its  colossal  specter  as  the  mount 
ain  summits  of  the  Adirondacks, 
clothed  with  evergreens  and 
groves  of  birch,  maple,  beech, 
ash  and  cedar,  in  which  the 
bear,  wolf  and  wild-cat  have 
their  lairs.  In  these  wild  seclu 
sions,  the  recesses  of  dark 
valleys  and  the  dreary  isolation 
of  soaring  peaks,  darkness  is 
enthroned  and  veiled  by  shad 
ows,  amid  which  savage  animals 
and  dusky  night-birds  hold  their 
carnivals.  The  catamount  sets 
up  a  chilling  wail  that  brings  ADIRONDACK  LODGE  AND  CLEAR  LAKE. 

response  from  the  deep-voiced  loon  that  keeps  his  lonely  watch  on  a  lake  far  below;  then  across  a  stretch  of  deep  wood  falls  the  hooting 
echo  of  a  solemn  owl, whose  complainings  excite  condolement  of  whip-poor-will  and  katydid,  and  the  chorus  thus  begun  is  taken  up  and  joined 
in  by  a  thousand  whimpering,  screeching,  strident  and  wailing  things  that  make  the  lonesome  forest  their  assembling  place. 


WEST  POINT,  FROM  EAGLE'S   REST. 


374 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


But  -when  the  sun  is  above  the  mountains  and  setting  the  landscape  aglow  with  cheerful  beams,  these  same  fastnesses  are  a  realm  of 
romantic  delight,  for  every  peak  is  reflected  in  some  lovely  lake,  while  waterfalls  appear  to  be  pouring  out  of  the  sky  and  go  chasing  down 
the  verdant  slopes  playing  high-spy  among  the  coverts  and  making  the  woods  musical  with  their  laughter.  Near  Ausable  Ponds,  guarded 
by  Mount  Marcy,  are  the  beautiful  Rainbow  Falls,  a  very  flood  of  opals,  so  irridescent  does  it  appear  when  its  waters  catch  the  sunbeams. 
And  near  Tupper  Lake  are  the  Bogg's  River  Falls,  or  cascades,  that  make  the  surrounding  forest  resound  with  their  roaring,  for  they  discharge 
an  immense  flood  over  a  rock-infested  course,  and  swell  into  a  river  a  mile  below. 

Near  the  western  margin  of  the  Adirondacks  is  Long  Lake,  narrow  as  a  river  and  many  miles  in  length,  but  so  still  and  crystalline 
that  the  lordly  lake-trout  may  be  seen 
sporting  in  its  deepest  water,  as  if  chal 
lenging  an  angler.  Its  outlet  is  by  way 
of  a  stream  that  flows  by  Owl's  Head 
and  into  Forked  Lake.  Between  these 
points  is  Buttermilk  Falls,  stately  and 
impetuous,  but  symmetrical  and  rhyth 
mic,  as  it  courses  over  gentle  terraces  and 
drops,  step  by  step,  into  the  rapids  which 
crowd  from  shore  to  shore  and  keep  the 
stream  in  a  state  of  constant  agitation. 
Northeast  of  Buttermilk  Falls  is 
Adirondack  station,  on  Henderson  Lake, 
which  is  the  central  point  of  this  whole 
mountain  region,  and  a  place  where 
tourists  are  usually  found  in  large  num 
bers.  Near  the  north  end  of  the  lake  is 
Wall-Face  Mountain,  commanding  an 
extensive  view,  and  midway  is  Indian 
Pass,  which  is  a  tremendous  chasm 
through  what  is  known  as  the  Dismal 
Wilderness.  Notwithstanding  the  large 
number  of  visitors  who  annually  summer 
in  the  vicinity,  so  dense  is  the  forest  and 
jungle-growth  that  surrounds  the  Pass, 
and  so  inaccessible  the  deepest  portions 


RAINBOW  FALLS  IN  WINTER,   ADIRONDACKS. 


of  the  gorge,  that  very  few  explorers  have  succeeded  in  making  their  way  through  it,  and  no  one  is  sufficiently  familiar  with  the  region  to 
act  as  a  competent  guide.  It  has  been  ascertained,  however,  that  within  the  Pass,  which  is  intersected  by  several  streams,  are  springs 
which  are  the  source  of  Ausable  River,  which,  emptying  into  Champlain,  finds  an  outlet  into  the  Atlantic  by  way  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  and 
also  of  the  Hudson,  whose  drainage  is  in  the  opposite  direction;  and  yet  so  close  are  these  springs  that  it  is  possible  to  drink  from  each 
without  shifting  one's  position.  In  this  vicinity  is  Gill  Brook,  which  is  picturesquely  broken  by  Surprise  Falls,  composed  of  a 
succession  of  sharp  leaps  over  limestone  ledges,  but  so  narrow  that  the  forest  trees  form  a  perfect  canopy  above,  excluding  a  sight  of  both 
river  and  falls  until  the  visitor  approaches  within  a  few  feet  of  the  stream.  But  the  entire  region  so  abounds  with  lakes,  mountains,  gorges, 


n^nflfl!    .''«,  ^ 


THE  HUDSON   NARROWS,   NEAR   PEEKSKILL. 


376 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


waterfalls  and  cataracts  that  to  describe  all  its  attractions  would  be  wearisome  iteration,  for  there  is  an  unavoidable  sameness  in  the  pen- 
pictures  of  scenery,  however  variable  in  character. 

Having  made  a  tour,  of  the  Adirondacks,  and  taken  many  photographs  of  the  superb  scenery  which  distinguishes  it,  we  took  train  at 
Saranac  Lake  station,  the  south 
ern  terminus  of  the  Chateaugay 
Railroad,  and  returned  to  Platts- 
burgh.  From  that  point  we 
proceeded  south  by  the  Dela 
ware  and  Hudson  Railroad, 
along  the  west  shore  of  Cham- 
plain,  by  Ticonderoga,  and 
thence  to  Glen's  Falls,  to  obtain 
a  picture  of  the  Hudson  where 
it  pours  over  rocky  ledges  in 
great  volume  and  is  converted 
into  a  terrible  cataract  that  is 
worth  many  miles  of  travel  to 
see.  Our  way  was  then  con 
tinued  southward  to  Albany, 
and  thence  into  the  Catskills, 
which  begin  about  one  hundred 
miles  south  of  the  Adiroudacks. 
These  mountains  are  unlike 
any  others  in  America,  in  that 
while  every  other  range  pos 
sesses  peaks  with  jagged  points, 
generally  of  stones  tumbled  in 
confusion,  the  Catskills  have 
gracefully  rounded  summits, 
which,  though  sometimes  rising 
to  a  height  of  four  thousand 
feet,  yet  exhibit  few  effects  of 
aberrant  forces;  nor  are  they 
covered  with  huge  rocks,  such 
as  characterize  all  other  ranges. 

The   scenery,  therefore,    while 

SURPRISE   FALLS  AND  GILL   BROOK,   IN   THE   ADIRONDACKS. 
grand,  is   very   tame   as   com 
pared  with  the  Adirondacks,  and  but  for  the  fine  drive-ways  through  the  valleys  and  over  their  crowns,  would  be  monotonous.     But  this 
sameness  is  occasionally  diversified,  and  the  visitor  is  led  on  to  expect  more  beauties  than  he  really  finds.     The  one  attractive  and  justly 
famous  feature  of  this  mountain  region  is  Kaaterskill  Falls.     These  are  reached  by  the  Catskill  Mountain  Railroad  from  Catskill,  on  the 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


377 


Hudson,  stopping  at  Mountain  House  station,  from  which  eminence,  2,250  feet  above  the  river,  an  extensive  view  may  be  had,  taking  in 
Albany,  the  Hudson  Highlands,  Berkshire  Hills  and  the  Green  Mountains.  It  is  even  said  that  by  means  of  a  good  glass  on  a  clear  day 
portions  of  Massachusetts,  Connecticut  and  New  Jersey  may  be  descried,  but  during  our  visit  the  atmospheric  conditions  were  unfavorable. 
Two  miles  from  the  Mountain  House,  and  reached  by  a  beautiful  road,  are  the  celebrated  Kaaterskill  Falls,  at  the  head  of  which  is  located 
the  Laurel  House,  from  which 
a  fine  view  of  Round  Top  and 
High  Peak  may  be  had,  as  well 
as  of  the  falls  themselves.  But 
the  best  sight  is  obtained  by 
descending  a  spiral  stairway 
into  the  gorge  below  and  look 
ing  upward.  The  falls  are 
formed  by  the  overflow  of  North 
and  South  Lake,  which  pours 
through  a  double  cleft  and  de 
scends  in  two  cascades,  the  first 
having  a  drop  of  180  feet,  and 
the  second  eighty  feet;  but  a 
short  distance  below  there  is 
another  fall,  known  as  the  Bas 
tion,  which  has  a  further  descent 
of  forty  feet.  Beautiful  as  they 
are,  candor  compels  the  state 
ment,  however  disparaging  it 
may  appear,  that  the  falls  are 
remittent,  and  that  people  may 
visit  them  without  seeing  any 
such  display  of  waters  as  we 
have  described.  The  supply 
being  limited,  a  dam  has  been 
constructed  across  the  verge  of 
the  cliff,  and  is  opened  only  on 
special  and  rare  occasions,  when 
the  number  of  incredulous  sum 
mer  visitors  is  great  enough  to 
make  it  necessary  to  turn  on 
the  water,  to  show  that  the  falls  BRIDGE  °VER  GLEN'S  FALLS'  NEW  YORK" 

are  still  active.  There  is  some  very  pretty  scenery  in  the  region  of  Kaaterskill  Clove,  notably  Hains'  Falls,  Fawn-Leap  Falls  and  High 
Rocks,  but  a  fee  is  charged  at  every  point  of  interest,  and  the  visitor  is  so  harrowed  by  the  showmen  of  nature  that  he  is  in  no  disposition  to 
appreciate  the  view  which  he  pays  to  see,  and  is  almost  certain  to  leave  the  Catskills  with  a  bad  impression — even  worse  than  the  mountains 


378 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


deserve.  It  was  with  such  feelings  that  we  set  out  by  rail  for  Kingston,  and  there  took  boat  down  the  Hudson  River  for  New  York,  but 
stopped  for  a  while  at  West  Point  en  route. 

The  scenery  about  West  Point  is  of  almost  matchless  grandeur,  and  every  consideration  is  present  to  confirm  the  wisdom  of  the 
Congress  of  1812  in  establishing  a  military  training-school  at  this  point.  The  fort  on  the  river-shore  is  in  a  position  to  command  the 
approaches  north  and  south,  while  at  the  foot  of  the  highlands  is  a  level  stretch,  as  though  prepared  by  nature  for  a  Champ  des  Mars,  or 
parade-ground.  The  hills  rise  abruptly  from  the  rear  of  the  training-plaza,  and  from  their  summits  an  inspiring  view  is  to  be  had. 
Sweeping  the  horizon,  we  clearly  discern  the  Break-Neck,  Crow's  Nest,  and  Storm  King  Mountains,  with  blue  valleys  stretching  away 
between,  and  the  majestic  Hudson  washing  the  feet  of  these  and  many  other  noble  hills.  The  academy,  besides  being  scenically  and 
advantageously  situated,  is  in  a  very 
realm  of  romance,  around  which  cluster 
many  memories  of  the  greatest  writers 
of  fiction  that  our  country  has  the  honor 
of  claiming.  It  was  the  Crow's  Nest 
that  gave  the  inspiration  to  Joseph 
Rodman  Drake  for  his  exquisite  poem 
entitled  the  "Culprit  Fay,"  so  charm 
ingly  realistic  that  the  fairies  of  his 
verse  still  exist  in  fancy,  just  as  the 
mountain  spirits  who  tricked  Rip  Van 
Winkle  still  haunt  the  deep  forests  of 
the  Catskills  and  play  at  nine-pins  on  the 
peak  that  overlooks  the  faded  village  of 
Falling  Water.  Near  Cold  Spring, 
which  is  in  this  same  historic  land,  was 
"Undercliff,"  the  home  of  George  P. 
Morris,  and  where  he  wrote  that  patri 
otic  and  moving  tribute  to  a  sheltering 
tree,  the  figure  of  our  American  Union, 
1 '  Woodman  Spare  that  Tree. ' '  So  was 
"Idlewild,"  the  villa  of  N.  P.  Willis, 
close-by,  and  hereabout  also  Washing 
ton  Irving  spent  much  of  his  time  gath- 
ering  traditions  from  descendants  of  the  LOOKING  NORTH  FROM  WEST  POINT,  NEW  YORK. 

old  Dutch  colonists  for  his  imperishable  "Sketch  Book"  tales.  But  history  as  indelibly  fixes  West  Point  in  the  minds  of  Americans  as  the 
stories  of  famous  fiction- writers,  for  the  site  of  the  training-school  was,  in  Revolutionary  times,  occupied  by  Fort  Putnam,  erected  under 
the  direction  of  Kosciuszko;  and  it  was  at  West  Point  that  Benedict  Arnold  consummated  his  traitorous  deal  with  Major  Andre,  to  deliver 
that  post  into  the  hands  of  the  British.  On  the  opposite  shore  is  the  mouth  of  a  pretty  stream  called  the  Mooda,  but  which  in  earlier 
times  was  known  as  Murderer's  Creek,  on  account  of  the  slaughter  by  a  band  of  lurking  savages  of  eight  soldiers  who  were  sent  with 
buckets  to  fetch  water  for  the  camp  near-by.  A  little  way  below  is  Milton's  Ferry,  a  spot  famous  as  the  place  of  residence  of  a  patriot 
blacksmith  who  made  the  great  chain  that  stretched  across  the  river  at  old  Fort  Montgomery,  to  prevent  the  passage  of  British  ships.  For 


BREAK-NECK  HILL,  ON  THE   HUDSON  RIVER,  NEW  YORK. 


380 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


this  service  he  was  taken  captive  shortly  after  and  kept  in  close  confinement  on  an  English  ship  until  his  death.  Newburgh  is  also  only  a 
few  miles  away,  smiling  benignly  from  terraced  banks  upon  the  river  below;  and  conspicuous  among  its  old  houses  is  one  in  which  Wash 
ington  had  his  headquarters  in  1780,  and  which  is  changed  but  little  in  appearance  since  he  occupied  it. 

It  is  below  West  Point  that  the  principal  places  of  scenic  and  historic  interest  occur,  and  these  crowd  rapidly  upon  one  another  until 
Yonkers  is  reached.  At  the  base  of  Sugar-Loaf  Mountain  is  a  bluffy  projection  upon  which  Fort  Independence,  of  Revolutionary  times, 
was  built,  and  near-by  is  But 
termilk  Falls,  that  runs  down  a 
succession  of  sharp  ledges  one 
hundred  feet.  Anthony's  Nose 
is  on  the  right,  rising  to  a 
height  of  nine  hundred  feet, 
and  overlooking  beautiful  Ionia 
Island,  that  seems  to  swim  upon 
the  glassy  surface  of  the  river, 
like  the  halcyon  isle  of  fable; 
but  on  close  approach  its  three 
hundred  acres  are  found  to  be 
covered  with  vineyards  and  its 
shaded  margins  the  favorite 
gathering-place  of  merry  pic- 
nicers. 

The  Highlands  come  next 
in  view,  of  which  Dunderberg 
Mountain,  eleven  hundred  feet 
high,  is  the  most  prominent 
object;  and  then  appears  Peeks- 
kill,  the  prettiest  town  in  east 
ern  New  York.  Near  this 
place  is  Caldwell's  Landing, 
distinguished  as  being  the  inv- 
mediate  vicinity  of  Captain 
Kidd's  buried  treasure,  which 
hundreds  have  searched  forwith 
great  energy  and  at  immense 
expense,  but  without  reward.  TROPHY  GARDEN,  WEST  POINT. 

Remains  of  Revolutionary  forts  are  seen  at  Verplanck  and  Stony  Point,  and  below  these  the  Croton  River  discharges  into  the  Hudson.  Sing 
Sing  and  Nyack  are  passed  in  order,  between  which  the  shores  are  occupied  with  charming  villas,  and  the  landscape  here  is  very  picturesque. 
But  it  is  at  Tarrytown  that  visitors  find  most  to  interest  them,  both  for  the  scenic  beauty  of  the  neighborhood  and  the  historic  prominence 
which  attaches  to  the  place.  Here  it  was  that  Major  Andre  was  arrested,  the  identical  spot  being  marked  by  an  inscription  in  the  village 
records.  The  spirit  of  Washington  Irving  seems  to  pervade  the  locality,  for  it  was  in  this  vicinage  that  the  creatures  of  his  exquisite  fancy 


STORM   KING  MOUNTAIN,  HUDSON   RIVER. 


382 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


held  their  lively  revels.  Sleepy  Hollow  is  near-by,  and 
the  old  bridge  over  which  Ichabod  Crane  so  furiously  rode 
in  his  flight  from  a  headless  specter  is  still  shown  to  visit 
ors  as  a  proof  of  that  legendary  race.  The  Christ  Church 
which  Irving  attended  in  Tairytown  has  not  been  suffered 
to  lapse  into  decay,  and  the  cemetery  adjoining  the  old 
Dutch  church,  in  which  his  remains  find  rest,  shows  the 
reverend  respect  with  which  his  memory  is  treasured  by 
the  villagers,  for  it  is  well  tended. 

"Wolfert's  Roost,"  or  Sunnyside,  Irving's  villa,  is  a 
few  miles  below,  just  within  the  edge  of  Irvington,  on  the 
river,  but  it  is  hidden  from  view  by  the  ivy  that  clambers 
in  profusion  over  its  walls,  and  the  dense  shrubbery  that 
has  been  allowed  to  occupy  all  the  grcmnd  in  the  front-yard. 

The  old  town  of  Tappan  is  a  short  distance  from 
Sunnyside,  and  is  memorable  as  being  Washington's  head 
quarters  and  likewise  as  the  place  of  Major  Andre's  impris 
onment  and  execution.  A  monument  erected  by  Cyrus 
Field  marks  the  spot  where  the  gallows  stood  on  which 
that  English  officer  perished.  The  Palisades  next  come 
into  view,  and  on  the  west  side  is  Locust  Hill,  which  was 
the  place  where  the  American  encampment  was  estab 
lished  in  1781,  along  the  eminences  of  the  Palisades, 
which  gave  a  commanding  position  to  the  troops  guarding 
against  invasion  of  the  British  up  the  river.  Yonkers, 
Spuyten  Duyvil,  and  Mount  St.  Vincent  are  next  passed, 
and  the  city  of  New  York  then  looms  up,  with  its  wharves 
lined  with  vessels,  whose  numerous  masts  make  the  shores 
look  from  a  distance  like  a  forest  of  pines  denuded  of 
their  branches.  Here  we  tarried  to  await  the  coming  of 
our  two  photographers. 

In  the  meantime,  however,  there  were  no  idle  mo 
ments,  for  the  work  of  developing  the  photographs  which 
we  had  taken  was  now  prosecuted  with  great  energy,  and 
the  finished  pictures  were  sent  on  as  fast  as  made  to  our 
photo-engravers  for  reproduction.  Fortunately,  too,  we 
had  so  accurately  timed  the  work  which  each  had  under 
taken  that  there  was  only  a  few  days'  detention  in  New 
York;  little  more,  in  fact,  than  was  necessary  to  complete 
arrangements  for  our  tour  of  the  South,  now  to  be  described. 


LONG  GALLERY,   AUSABLE  CHASM. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

A  PICTORIAL  TOUR  OF  THE  EASTERN  STATES. 


)S  EXPLAINED  in  the  preceding  chapter,  one  of  our  photographers  was  despatched  into  Canada  from  Ogdensburg,  and  instructed  to 
take  views  of  the  most  pleasing  scenery  of  the  Dominion,  after  which  to  make  a  tour  of  the  Eastern  Slates  and  join  the  others  at 
New  York  upon  the  completion  of  his  labors  in  that  section.  While  Canada  is  not  a  part  of  the  United  States,  its  contiguous 
scenery,  some  of  which  is  very  beautiful,  and  the  intimate  relations  subsisting  between  the  two  countries  justify  this  brief  departure 
from  our  original  design,  particularly  as  the  most  direct  route  from  the  West  to  Northern  New  Hampshire  and  Vermont,  is 
through  the  southern  part  of  Canada,  where  the  most  interesting  and  accessible  scenery  is  found.  Crossing  the  St.  Lawrence  at 
Ogdensburg  to  Prescott,  our  artist  proceeded  to  Ottawa,  fifty-four  miles  distant,  by  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railroad,  for  the  purpose  of  taking 

views  of  Chaudiere  Falls,  which  are  famous  alike  for  their  size  and  grandeur. 
The  city  of  Ottawa  extends  for  a  distance  of  two  miles  along  Ottawa  River, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  picturesque  sites  in  Ontario,  located  as  it  is  on  the 
banks  of  a  beautiful  stream,  and  in  the  center  of  a  region  that  is  famous  for 
its  charming  scenery.  The  Rideau  River  debouches  into  the  Ottawa  at 
Chaudiere  (Caldron)  Falls,  and  its  bluffy  shores,  160  feet  high,  are  ornate 
with  splendid  buildings.  The  Rideau  Canal,  which  skirts  the  east  side  of 
Parliament  Hill,  separates  the  higher  from  the  lower  town,  and  south  of  this 
point  is  the  vast  lumber  interests,  manifested  by  the  large  number  of  saw-mills 
operated  principally  by  power  derived  from  the  falls.  But  it  is  about  Chau 
diere  Falls  that  chief  attraction  clusters,  particularly  of  visitors,  for  a  more 
entrancing  sight  can  hardly  be  found  in  any  part  of  North  America.  Ottawa 
River  is  a  stream  of  considerable  magnitude,  both  in  width  and  depth,  but  at 
the  point  where  the  falls  appear  it  is  contracted  to  a  width  of  200  feet  and  then 
plunges  over  a  precipice  forty  feet  high,  at  the  mouth  of  Rideau  River.  But 
the  verge  of  the  ledge  is  so  ragged  and  curved  that  the  stream  is  broken,  and 
pours  down  in  a  swirling  motion,  which  forms  a  very  charybdis  below,  into 
which  it  is  dangerous  for  crafts  to  enter.  The  volume  discharged  is  almost  as 
great  as  that  of  Niagara,  and  the  power  displayed  is  wonderful  to  behold. 
Beautiful,  grand  and  amazing  as  they  are  in  summer,  it  is  during  winter  that 
the  sublime  magnificence  of  the  falls  is  impressed  upon  the  visitor.  Several 
views,  from  different  points  of  observation,  were  taken  by  our  photographer, 
but  these  were  rejected  to  give  place  to  the  winter  scene  here  presented,  since 
it  affords  a  more  perfect  idea  of  the  falls  in  their  glory,  when  the  Ice  King  has 
frozen  them  into  a  vision  of  superlative  splendor. 

Three  hundred  miles  northeast  of  Ottawa,  Montreal  River,  a  small  but 
noisy  stream  that  is  the  outlet  of  a  chain  of  lakes  far  up  in  the  British  posses 
sions,  flows  into  the  Ottawa  River,  and  twenty  miles  above  its  mouth  are 


383 


WINOOSKI   RIVER  GORGE,  VERMONT. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


Montreal  Rapids,  a  picture  of  which  was 
obtained  from  a  local  photographer  at  Ottawa, 
and  is  here  reproduced  as  affording  an  idea  of 
the  scenery  in  that  great  northern  and  almost 
unexplored  region. 

From  Ottawa  the  trip  was  continued  by 
boat  one  hundred  miles  to  Montreal.  This 
route  affords  a  view  of  Lake  St.  Louis,  Nun's 
Island,  and  Lachine  Rapids,  the  most  dan 
gerous  part  of  St.  Lawrence  River,  yet  it  is 
every  day  traversed  by  pleasure  steamers,  of 
which  a  traveler  has  thus  graphically  written: 
"  In  the  descent  of  these  rapids  we  are  wrought 
to  a  feverish  degree  of  excitement,  exceeding 
that  produced  in  the  passage  of  the  Long 
Sault.  It  is  an  intense  sensation,  and  though 
perfectly  safe,  is  terrible  to  the  faint-hearted, 
exhilarating  to  the  brave.  Opposite  Lachine 
is  the  quaint  Indian  village  of  Caughnawago, 
where  still  reside  descendants  of  the  once- 
powerful  Iroquois  Nation.  The  immense  steel 
bridge  spanning  the  St.  Lawrence  at  this  point 
is  justly  considered  one  of  the  engineering 
triumphs  of  the  century.  It  was  built  by  the 
Canadian  Pacific  Railway,  is  about  a  mile 
long,  with  two  channel  spans  of  408  feet,  and 
lofty  enough  to  allow  free  passage  to  the 
largest  steamers.  From  this  bridge  a  fine 
view  is  obtained  of  the  rapids,  villages  on  either 
shore,  loftiest  structures  in  Montreal,  and  the 
distant  mountains." 

Montreal  is  the  metropolis  of  Canada, 
having  a  population  of  about  220,000,  and 
being  at  the  head  of  ship  navigation,  has 
improved  its  advantages  and  become  the  chief 
commercial  port  of  the  Dominion.  The  name 
is  derived  from  Mount  Royal,  which  rises  700 
feet  above  the  river,  the  eminence  which 
Jacques  Cartier  ascended  in  1535,  and  looked 
with  startled  eyes  upon  the  palisaded  Indian 


TOBOGGAN  SLIDE   AT  MONTREAL. 


CHAUDIERE   FALLS    NEAR  OTTAWA,  CANADA,   IN   WINTER. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


town  of  Hochelaga,  surrounded  by  vast  fields 
of  grain,  at  the  west  base  of  the  mountain. 
Sixty  years  later,  when  Samuel  de  Champlain 
made  his  way  up  the  St.  Lawrence  and 
climbed  to  the  summit  of  Mount  Royal,  he 
looked  in  vain  for  the  town  which  Cartier  had 
•discovered  and  described.  Only  two  of  the 
native  Indians  of  Hochelaga  were  found,  from 
-whom  was  learned  the  tragic  history  of  the 
place,  the  inhabitants  of  which  had  been 
exterminated  and  the  town  destroyed  by  a  rival 
tribe. 

Montreal  is  situated  on  an  island  of  the 
same  name,  and  the  eminences  about  it  were 
so  important  as  vantage-places  that  during  the 
French  and  Indian  wars  (in  1665),  the  mount 
was  fortified  by  the  French,  and  in  1722  a 
citadel  was  erected  on  a  height  now  laid  out  as 
Dalhousie  Square.  In  its  early  history,  there 
fore,  the  city  was  the  scene  of  many  incidents 
of  Indian  warfare,  and  was  on  disputed  ground 
until  the  surrender  of  Quebec,  in  1759,  when 
the  English  gained  permanent  possession  of 
the  place. 

The  scenery  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Montreal  is  pleasant,  but  not  particularly 
attractive;  yet  the  severity  of  the  weather  and 
the  long  reaches  of  graceful  hills  thereabout 
afford  opportunity  for  the  most  enjoyable 
winter  sports.  Tobogganing  is  a  favorite  pas 
time  in  season,  and  the  most  charming  scenes 
imaginable  may  be  witnessed  by  a  visit  to  the 
west  side  slide  when  a  heavy  snow  has  pre 
pared  the  ground  for  the  host  of  red-cheeked 
merry-makers,  who  flock  there  by  thousands 
with  their  toboggans,  and  fly  down  the  hill  in 
long  lines  of  variegated  color.  Winter  is  the 
carnival  season,  and  for  some  years  Montreal 
has  been  specially  distinguished  by  the  brilliant 
fetes  which  her  leading  citizens  have  provided 


MONTMOREN'CI   FALLS,   NEAR  QUEBEC. 


UJ 

a: 


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LU 

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t/3 


U 

OS 
UJ 

s- 
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u. 
O 

C/5 
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in 
LU 

ce 

flu 
LU 

ce 


333 

notably  that  of  1888.  On  this  occasion  the 
city  was  a  scene  of  extraordinary  splendor, 
exceeding,  in  the  magnificent  sights  afforded, 
the  carnivals  that  take  place  on  the  frozen 
•waters  of  the  Neva  River,  before  the  Russian 
capital  of  St.  Petersburg,  famous  alike  in  song 
and  story.  The  great  ice-palace,  of  which  an 
illustration  is  here  given,  was  a  most  exquisite 
imitation  of  mediaeval  architecture,  rivaling  in 
its  imposing  and  charming  appearance  the 
finest  castles  of  the  old  world.  When  illum 
inated  by  thousands  of  lights,  the  palace  pre 
sented  a  scene  which  must  ever  remain  fadeless 
in  the  memory  of  those  who  witnessed  it. 
But  to  increase  the  beautiful  effect,  the  city's 
population  turned  out  in  the.  gayest  of  winter 
attire,  filling  the  spacious  ball-room  of  the 
palace  with  a  marvelous  display  of  color  in 
graceful  evolution,  while  outside  the  gay 
revelers  sported  as  jolly  maskers  and  filled  the 
air  with  songs  of  glee.  A  similar  carnival 
was  held  at  St.  Paul  in  1889,  and  an  ice-palace 
of  equal  proportions  was  constructed  in  honor 
of  the  Frost  King,  with  grand  illuminations 
and  display  of  fire-works  at  night,  as  illus 
trated  in  a  previous  chapter,  but  no  fete  ever 
given  on  the  western  continent  is  believed  to 
have  been  so  magnificent  as  that  of  Montreal 
in  1888. 

From  Montreal  the  journey  was  continued 
over  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railroad  to  Quebec, 
distant  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  miles,  and 
along  the  north  shore  of  the  St.  Lawrence, 
in  sight  of  that  river  most  of  the  way,  so  that 
the  view  is  a  very  attractive  one.  Quebec,  the 
third  largest  city  in  the  Dominion  of  Canada, 
with  a  population  of  70,000,  has  much  to 
recommend  it,  both  commercially  and  scen- 
ically,  for  it  is  the  center  of  vast  lumber  and 
mining  interests,  the  head  of  navigation  for 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


ST.   ANNE  FALLS,   NEAR  QUEBEC. 


SCENERY   ALONG  THE  LINE  OF  THE  CANADIAN  PACIFIC  RAILWAY. 


390 

the  largest  steamers  of  the  line, 
and  is  advantageously  located  on 
a  headland  commanding  the  St. 
Lawrence.  A  large  part  of  the 
city  lies  under  what  is  known  as 
Cape  Diamond  Promontory,  upon 
the  summit  of  which,  350  feet 
above  the  river,  is  the  Citadel,  a 
fortification  so  nearly  impregnable 
that  Quebec  has  been  called  the 
American  Gibraltar,  a  designation 
more  deserved  because  of  the 
many  attacks  which  its  garrisons 
have  repulsed.  The  Plains  of 
Abraham  are  southwest  of  the 
suburb  of  St.  Louis,  and  from  that 
eminence  a  wide  and  truly  mag 
nificent  view  is  obtained,  extend 
ing  to  the  Green  Mountains  on  the 
south  and  the  Laurentian  Range 
on  the  north,  with  glimpses  of  nu 
merous  rivers  and  lakes  between. 
The  entire  province  of  Quebec 
is  remarkably  well  watered  and 
timbered,  with  sections  of  forests 
so  dense  that  much  of  it  still  re 
mains  to  be  explored.  Eight 
miles  from  the  city  are  the  famous 
Montmorency  Falls,  which  have  a 
leap  over  natural  steps  of  250  feet 
and  pour  down  an  immense  vol 
ume,  whose  roaring  may  be  heard 
on  calm  days  for  a  distance  of 
many  miles.  Near  the  falls  is  a 
hotel  called  the  Haldimand  House, 
which  was  once  the  residence  of 
Queen  Victoria's  father,  the  Duke 
of  Kent.  Sixty  miles  north, 
and  reached  by  the  Quebec  and 
Lake  St.  John  Railroad,  is  Lake 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


WINOOSKI  FALLS,  VERMONT. 


A   SYLVAN   STREAM   IN   VERMONT. 


392 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


St.  John,  a  large  and  pellncid  body  of  water  whose  outlet  is  the 
Saguenay  River,  and  one  of  the  most  wonderful  streams  011  earth. 
Bayard  Taylor  says  of  it:  "It  is  not  properly  a  river,  but  a  tremen 
dous  chasm,  like  that  of  the  Jordan  Valley  and  the  Dead  Sea,  cleft  for 
sixty  miles  through  the  heart  of  a  mountainous  wilderness.  Every 
thing  about  it  is  hard,  naked,  stern,  silent.  Dark-grey  cliffs  of  granite 
gneiss  rise  from  the  pitch-black  water;  firs  of  gloomy  green  are  rooted 
in  their  crevices  and  fringe  their  summits;  loftier  ranges  of  a  dull 
indigo  hue  show  themselves  in  the  background,  and  over  all  bends  a 
pale,  cold,  northern  sky." 

The  Saguenay  is  sometimes  called  the  River  of  Death,  on  account 
of  its  somber  waters  and  the  deep  gorge  through  which  it  sluggishly 
moves.  Its  depth  is  also  remarkable,  ranging  from  100  to  1,000  feet, 
and  along  its  course  are  several  pretty  falls,  where  the  stream  suddenly 
contracts,  and  rapids  where  it  expands  and  the  occasional  shoals  appear. 
The  country  about  Quebec  is  pleasingly  diversified,  and  abounding  with 
forests  and  lakes  is  a  very  paradise  for  hunters  and  fishers,  as  well  as 
affording  views  worthy  of  the  artist's  best  efforts.  Some  ten  miles 
above  the  city,  and  forming  an  outlet  for  Lake  Megantic,  on  the  south 
side  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  is  Chaudiere,  or  Boiling  River,  an  impetu 
ous,  but  noble  stream,  whose  erratic  course  is  interrupted  by  Chau 
diere  Falls,  where  the  river  takes  a  plunge  over  a  precipice  125  feet 
high  and  350  feet  wide.  Having  expended  its  vigor  in  this  violent 
exercise,  the  river  flows  on  thenceforth  in  a  subdued  and  gentle 
manner,  in  remarkable  contrast  with  the  character  which  it  displays 
above  the  falls. 

Other  famous  falls  in  the  vicinity  of  Quebec  are  those  of  the 
Scuzzie,  near  North  Bend,  and  St.  Anne  Falls,  on  the  north  shore  of 
the  St.  Lawrence,  twenty  miles  below  the  city,  where  the  river  St. 
Anne,  a  small  confluent  of  that  stream,  breaks  over  a  brink  one  hun 
dred  feet  high,  and  pours  through  crevices  worn  in  the  Laurentian  rocks 
in  a  succession  of  cascades  of  great  beauty.  While  the  scenery  of 
Southern  Canada  is  very  charming,  it  is  the  boundary  outposts  of  very 
much  more  magnificent  landscapes  towards  the  south,  and  it  was 
towards  the  mountainous  districts  of  Vermont  and  New  Hampshire 
that  our  artist  bent  his  way  after  concluding  a  tour  of  the  vicinity  of 
Quebec.  The  journey  was,  therefore,  by  way  of  the  Grand  Trunk  and 
Vermont  Central  Railroad  into  the  heart  of  Green  Mountains.  This 
route  took  our  photographer  by  the  Enosburgh  Falls,  St.  Albans  and 
Essex  Junction,  from  which  latter  place  a  detour  was  made  down  the 


PEACOCK  FALLS,  GREEN   MOUNTAINS. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


393 


famous  Winooski  River  to  embalm  some  of  the  remarkable  scenery  along  that  stream.  Its  source  is  in  the  spurs  of  Green  Mountains, 
whence  it  flows  northwestwardly,  cleaving  the  range  near  its  junction  with  Waterbury  River,  and  then  speeds  through  a  chasm  until  it 
empties  into  Lake  Champlain.  This  wild  gorge  is  particularly  wonderful  some  four  or  five  miles  from  the  lake,  the  walls  rising  at  places 
fully  one  hundred  feet  and  exhibiting  the  same  cleavage  and  jagged  precipices  that  distinguish  Ausable  Chasm,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  lake. 
At  the  town  of  Winooski,  the  river  flows  over  a  dam  two  hundred  feet  wide  and  twenty-five  feet  high,  but  before  the  dam  was  constructed, 
to  afford  power  for  several  mills,  the  river  here  was  a  long  stretch  of  cascades  and  cataracts,  a  condition  which  is  still  continued  below  the 
falls  and  to  its  place  of  outlet.  From  Essex  Junction  the  Vermont  Central  follows  the  Winooski  to  Montpelier,  passing  the  beautiful  town 

of  Waterbury,  which  is  the  pass  of  Green  Mountains  and  the  center  of  some  of  the 
finest  scenery  in  the  State.  From  Waterbury  it  is  only  ten  miles  by  stage  to  Mount 
Mansfield,  which  is  the  loftiest  peak  in  the  range  (4,389  feet),  and  from  the  summit 
of  which  a  splendid  view  is  had  of  lovely  valleys,  gushing  streams  and  battalions  of 
graceful  mountains.  In  this  same  vicinity,  checkered  by  many  mountain  streams, 
are  Peacock  Falls,  Bingham  Falls,  Moss-Glen  Falls,  Morrisville  Falls,  and  others  of 
lesser  note  but 
equal  beauty. 
At  the  base  of 
Mansfield  Peak 
is  a  stage  sta 
tion,  called 
Stowe,  from 
which  the 
crown  of  the 
mountain  is 
plainly  observ 
able,  exhibit 
ing  the  distinct 
features  of  a 
giant,  whose 
forehead,  nose 
and  chin  are 
formed  by  two 
rents  in  the 
summit,  mak 
ing  the  proper-  WINOOSKI  RIVER,  NEAR  MIDDLESEX,  VERMONT. 

tions,  as  well  as  the  outlines,  so  perfect  that  visitors  are  quick  to  discover  the  likeness  even  before  a  guide  calls  attention  to  it.  Camel's 
Hump  is  another  mountain,  five  miles  from  Waterbury,  the  second  highest  in  the  range  (4,000  feet),  but  its  surface  is  so  broken  that  no 
wagon-road  has  as  yet  been  made  to  the  summit,  but  a  horse  may  be  ridden  to  the  top,  and  the  ascent,  accomplished  at  whatever  expense 
of  effort,  is  well  repaid  by  the  magnitude  and  magnificence  of  the  scenery  thus  brought  into  view.  Balton  Falls  are  within  five  miles  of 
the  Hump,  and  are  a  shrine  of  beauty  to  which  hundreds  of  summer  visitors  pay  the  tribute  of  admiration. 

From  Montpelier  the  Vermont  Central  turns  south,  following  a  tributary  of  the  Winooski  to  Roxbury,  thence  it  strikes  the  valley  of 


CLARENDON  GORGE,  VERMONT. 


394 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


White  River,  down  which  it  continues  to  the  Connecticut  River;  but  this  latter  region  is  more  subdued  than  the  section  just  described. 
The  scenery,  while  not  so  grand  and  mountainous,  possesses  a  beauty  to  excite  the  fancy  of  a  poet  and  day-dreamer,  for  the  views  are  of 
gentle  meandering  streams  roaming  through  woods  where  fairies  might  love  to  dwell,  singing  their  lonesome  lullabies  to  the  deep  coverts  that 
bend  low  along  the  shores.  Dainty  waterfalls,  murmuring  rapids,  sylvan  shades,  distinguish  the  way  of  many  brooks  that  roll  out  of  mount 
ain  springs  and  run  down  to  the  sea,  giving  drink  to  the  farmers'  herds,  trundling  old  water-mills,  and  doing  many  kind  offices  on  the  way. 

Another  branch  of  the  Ver 
mont  Central  runs  due  south 
from  Essex  Junction  and  Bur 
lington,  on  the  shore  of  Lake 
Champlain,  and  passes  through 
many  thriving  villages,  such  as 
New  Haven,  Middlebury,  Bran 
don  and  Rutland.  At  this 
latter  point,  which  is  on  a 
considerable  stream  called  Otter 
Creek,  some  very  charming 
scenery  occurs,  not  entirely  con 
fined  to  the  creek,  which,  how 
ever,  is  a  stream  almost  as 
remarkable  as  the  Winooski. 
At  a  place  called  Clarendon 
Gorge  the  creek  flows  through 
a  chasm  some  thirty  feet  deep 
and  so  narrow  that  when  the 
foliage  of  the  banks  is  heaviest 
the  stream  is  almost  entirely 
hidden  by  the  overlacing 
branches  of  opposite  trees. 
Here  the  stream  makes  a  sharp 
turn,  and  in  doing  so  has  cut 
deeply  into  the  rock-shore 
against  which  it  strikes,  and 
formed  a  deep  pool  in  which 
fish  fairly  swarm,  and  hence  at 
all  seasons  the  angler  here  may 

find  the  choicest  sport.  The  Green  Mountain  Range  is  within  five  miles  of  Rutland,  and  several  outlying  peaks  are  much  nearer,  such  as 
Paco,  Killingston,  Shrewsbury  and  Bald  Peaks,  which  are  of  sufficient  altitude  to  give  the  summit-observer  a  good  view  of  Lake  George 
and  the  Adirondacks.  The  road  continues  southwest  from  Rutland  through  a  pass  in  the  Green  Mountains  at  Healdville  and  joins  the  more 
eastern  section  at  Bellows  Falls,  on  the  Connecticut  River. 

At  Montpelier  our  photographer  proceeded  due  east  over  the  Montpelier  and  Wells  River  Railroad  to  Woodsville,  a  route  which  follows 


VERMONT. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


395 


a  third  confluent  of  the  Winooski  for  some  miles  to  Marshfield  station,  where  it  makes  an  elbow-turn  southwest  by  Peabody's  Lake,  and 
thence  keeps  close  to  the  bank  of  Wells  River,  a  small  stream  that  discharges  into  the  Connecticut  at  Woodsville.  The  region  thus 
traversed  is  somewhat  broken,  but  is  highly  cultivated;  and  the  farm  scenes  along  the  way  are  particularly  charming.  Agriculture  in  the 
Eastern  States  exhibits  a  striking  contrast  with  that  in  the  West,  and  in  Vermont  and  New  Hampshire  the  dissimilarity  of  method  and  the 
size  of  farm  is  especially  great.  The  soil  down  east,  in  the  sections  named,  has  to  be  reclaimed,  not  from  the  forests  so  much  as  from  the 

rocks,  for  it  is  essentially  a 
rocky  country.  The  fences 
are  usually  made  of  stumps  and 
stones,  material  which  is  plen 
tifully  at  hand,  so  that  the  barb- 
wire  trust  has  no  grip  upon 
New  England  agriculturists. 
The  farms,  too,  are  what  West 
erners  would  call  "small  acre- 
patches,"  but  they  are  so  in 
dustriously  and  intelligently 
tilled  that  every  foot  of  ground 
is  made  to  yield  its  full  capac 
ity.  Frugal,  yet  hospitable — 
poor,  maybe,  yet  refined — the 
down-east  farmer  is  a  hard 
worker,  a  lover  of  books,  pa 
tient,  contented,  and,  withal,  a 
generous  man,  philosophic  and 
industrious  enough  to  extract 
happiness  out  of  harsh  natural 
conditions. 

Woodsville  is  at  the  junc 
tion  of  the  Ammoonoosuc  with 
the  Connecticut  River,  along 
the  valley  of  which  former 
stream  the  railroad  runs  until 
it  strikes  the  White  Mountains, 
into  which  region  of  world- 
famous  scenery  our  artist  jour 
neyed.  A  branch  of  the  road  extends  south  to  a  terminus  at  Profile  House,  which  is  at  the  base  of  Profile  Mountain,  in  the  Franconia 
Range.  This  peak,  which  is  4,000  feet  above  the  sea,  possesses  two  remarkable  features  that  have  served  to  make  it  known  throughout 
the  world.  At  the  crown  there  are  several  colossal  stones,  so  distributed  by  chance  that  when  viewed  from  Profile  Mountain  House  they 
resemble  a  mounted  cannon,  on  which  account  the  peak  is  often  called  Mount  Cannon.  But  a  greater  natural  curiosity  occurs  to  visitors 
after  1  200  feet  of  the  ascent  is  made,  for  suddenly  there  appears  the  bold  and  exceedingly  well-defined  features  of  "The  Old  Man  of  the 


FALLS  OF  THE   AMMOONOOSUC,   IN  THE  WHITE  MOUNTAINS. 


396 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


Mountains,"  formed  by  three  masses  of  rock  so  disposed  that  its  ninety  feet  of  face  exhibits  the  clean-cut  characteristics  of  forehead,  nose, 
lips  and  chin  perfectly  outlined  against  the  sky.  A  few  feet  below  the  point  of  observation,  where  the  old  man's  face  is  exposed,  the  stone 
giant  changes  his  features  like  a  magician  and  becomes  "a  toothless  old  woman  in  a  mop-cap."  Hawthorne  has  used  this  wonderful  image 
to  excellent  effect  in  his  "Twice-Told  Tales,"  in  which  the  Great  Stone  Face  is  made  the  subject  of  a  weird  theme.  Still  nearer  the  base 
of  the  mountain  is  an  exquisite  lakelet  known  as  the  "Old  Man's  Wash-bowl,"  just  large  enough  for  the  purpose,  but  full  of  fish,  and  from 
the  shore  of  which  a  splendid 
view  of  Eagle  Cliff  may  be  had. 
In  the  immediate  neighborhood 
is  the  lofty  peak  of  Mount  La 
fayette,  5,269  feet  above  the 
sea,  from  whose  wind-swept 
head  a  landscape  of  marvelous 
diversity  and  beauty  may  be 
surveyed,  including  miles  of 
the  Green  Mountain  Range  and 
the  entire  aggregation  of  White 
Mountain  peaks. 

Less  than  one  mile  from 
Profile  House,  and  reached  by 
a  perfect  carriage-road,  is  Fran- 
conia's  chief est  marvel,  known 
as  the  Flume.  Six  hundred  feet 
of  cascades  go  churning  their 
way  through  a  fissure  whose 
vertical  walls  are  sixty  feet  high 
and  less  than  twenty  feet  apart. 
In  this  chasm  is  the  Flume, 
along  the  narrow  confines  of 
which  a  plank-walk  has  been 
built  to  permit  visitors  to  ob 
serve  more  closely  the  wonders 
that  nature  has  planted  along 
this  mountain  brook.  One  mile 
south  are  the  Georgianna  Falls, 
the  largest  yet  discovered  in  THE  FLUME'  NEAR  PROFILE  HOUSE'  FRANCONIA  MOUNTAINS. 

the  mountainous  districts  of  the  State,  plunging  in  successive  leaps  over  two  precipices,  each  eighty  feet  in  height,  and  scattering  their 
spray  into  vapor  that  keeps  the  vicinity  drenched.  Other  mountain  or  detached  peaks  near-by  are  Lincoln,  Liberty,  Flume,  and  Big 
Coolidge;  while  further  towards  the  east,  yet  in  sight,  are  North,  and  South,  Twin,  Lowell,  Carrigan  and  Huntiugton,  from  any  of  which 
magnificent  views  are  obtainable. 

Turning  back  north  from  Profile  House,  our  artist  proceeded  west  from  Bethlehem  Junction  over  the  Maine  Central  Railway,  and 


ELEPHANT'S   HEAD  AND   MOUNT  WEBSTER,   NEAR  CRAWFORD,   NEW   HAMPSHIRE. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

after  a  short  ride  reached  Fabyan's,  where  the  scenery  of  the  White  Mountains  broke  upon  his  enraptured  vision  in  all  its  glory.  Two  miles 
below  is  Crawford's  Notch,  the  natural  pass  into  the  range,  and  here  the  visitor  has  his  surprise  as  well  as  admiration  quickened  by  a  sight 
of  the  "Elephant's  Head."  Standing  on  the  piazza  of  a  hotel  at  Crawford's,  the  enormous  head  and  trunk  seem  to  be  just  emerging  from 
the  deep  woods  near  the  entrance  to  the  pass,  and  the  gray  of  the  granite  slope  serves  to  strengthen  the  illusion.  From  the  Elephant's  Head 
Hotel  there  is  a  particularly  fine 
view  of  the  Notch,  a  gigantic 
cleft  through  which  the  Titans 
may  have  forced  a  way,  but 
which  is  now  utilized  by  the 
railroad.  It  is  from  this  point 
that  excursions  to  the  summit  of 
Mount  Washington,  by  way  of 
the  bridle-path  opened  by  Thos. 
J.  Crawford  in  1840,  are  made. 
A  great  majority  of  persons  pre 
fer  the  easier  ascent  by  means 
of  the  cog-wheel  railroad,  which 
was  completed  in  1869,  and  re 
quires  one  and  one-half  hours 
to  make  the  trip,  the  fare  being 
$6.00.  The  summit  of  Mount 
Washington  is  6,293  feet  above 
sea  level;  and  as  the  rail  distance 
is  three  miles,  the  grade  is  very 
great,  in  one  place  being  a  rise 
of  one  foot  in  three,  or  33  per 
cent.  To  secure  perfect  safety 
the  track  is  composed  of  three 
rails  bolted  to  a  trestle  of  heavy 
timbers,  the  center  rail  being 
an  immense  wrought -iron 
ladder,  with  rounds  four  inches 
apart,  into  which  the  cogs  of 
the  locomotive  drive-wheels  fit, 
and  thus  drag  the  train  up  the 

steep,  as  well  as  control  it  in 

,,  CRAWFORD   HOUSE   NOTCH,   NEW  HAMPSHIRE, 

making    the    descent,    though 

automatic  air-brakes  are  used  in  emergencies.  But  though  the  rail  route,  in  swinging  seats,  is  more  comfortable  and  expeditious,  if  time 
be  any  consideration,  the  carriage-road  is  almost  as  popular  with  travelers,  who,  as  a  rule,  are  willing  to  make  sacrifices,  if  by  so  doing 
they  obtain  the  recompense  of  grander  sights.  As  our  artist  had  made  the  ascent  of  Pike's  Peak  by  car,  he  concluded  to  take  in  the  larger 


MOUNT  WASHINGTON   AND  COG-WHEEL   RAILROAD,  WHITE   MOUNTAINS. 


400 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


experience  of  gaining  the  summit  of  Mount  Washington  by  stage,  that  he  might  be  better  able  to  report  the  contrast.  Though  the  distance 
by  rail  is  only  three  miles,  by  wagon-road  it  is  ten,  so  winding  is  the  way,  and  to  add  to  the  distress  of  the  latter  journey,  the  first  four 
miles  is  toilsome  without  revealing  any  scenery  worth  the  effort  of  a  glance.  But  above  the  four-mile  point  the  dreary,  tame  and  desolate 
aspect  is  succeeded  by  a  landscape  that  cannot  be  excelled  for  magnificence.  It  is  here  that  the  creaking  stage  emerges  from  the  woods 
that  hides  the  prospect  and  moves  out  upon  the  bare  crags,  and  the  Ledge  House,  or  Half- Way  Station,  is  reached,  where  a  stop  is  made  to 
rest  the  horses  and  give  passengers  opportunity  and  time  to  drink  in  the  glories  of  the  wondrous  view  that  is  thus  presented.  Far  down 
below  yawns  the  measureless  void  of  a  tremendous  gulf,  while  above  is  a  colossal  pile  of  granite  that  supports  the  dome  of  Washington  and 
a  wide-spreading  wilderness  of 
tumult.  Looking  off  in  the  dis 
tance  from  this  natural  observa 
tory,  the  presidential  peaks  of 
Mounts  Adams,  Jefferson  and 
Madison  are  plainly  visible, 
whose  aged  sides  are  cloven 
by  deep  crevasses  and  their 
feet  are  hidden  in  gorges  of 
tremendous  depths;  while 
a  glance  downward  over  the 
ragged  tops  of  the  forest  trees 
discovers  Peabody  Glen  and 
river,  with  a  white  spot  in  the 
fading  distance  that  by  aid  of 
glass  is  found  to  be  the  Craw 
ford  House.  Following  the 
vale  out  to  its  entrance  upon 
the  Androscoggin  Meadows,  the 
vision  sweeps  up  Mount  Moriah, 
and  traversing  the  Confederate 
Peaks  to  the  summit  of  Mount 
Carter,  finally  rests  upon  the 
brow  of  Washington,  which  is 
almost  overhead. 

From  the  Ledge  the  road  SQUAM  LAKE'  NEW  HAMPSHIRE. 

continues  its  zigzag  way  up  the  steep  and  around  dangerously  narrow  terraces,  over  which  a  party  of  excursionists  in  a  six-horse  wagon 
tumbled  to  their  death  on  the  3d  of  July,  1880,  the  only  accident  that  has  ever  occurred  in  making  the  remarkable  descent  here,  however 
perilous  appears  the  passage;  and  this  tragedy  was  due  to  a  drunken  driver.  In  describing  the  ascent  above  Midway  House,  Mr.  Drake 
thus  writes:  "A  sharp  turn  around  a  ledge,  and  the  southeast  wall  of  Tuckerman's  Ravine  rose  up  like  a  wraith  out  of  the  forest. 
Nearer  at  hand  was  the  Head  of  Huntington's,  while  to  the  right  the  cone  of  Washington  loomed  up  gradually,  more  than  a  thousand  feet 
higher.  A  little  to  left  you  look  down  into  the  gloomy  depths  of  Pinkham  defile,  the  valley  of  Ellis  River  and  the  Saco  Valley  to  North 
Conway.  The  blue  course  of  the  Ellis,  which  is  nothing  but  a  long  cascade,  the  rich  green  of  the  Conway  intervales,  the  blanched  peak  of 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


401 


Chocurua,  the  sapphire  summits  of  Ossipee  Mountains  were  presented  in  conjunction  with  the  black  and  humid  walls  of  the  ravine,  and  the 
iron-gray  moss  of  the  great  dome.  The  crag  on  which  I  stood  leans  out  over  the  mountain  like  a  bastion,  from  which  the  spectator  sees  the 
deep-entrenched  valleys,  the  rivers  which  wash  the  feet  of  the  monarch,  and  the  long  line  of  summits  which  partake  of  his  grandeur  while 
making  it  all  the  more  impressive.  From  here  the  striking  spectacle  of  four  great  northern  peaks,  their  naked  summits,  their  sides  seamed 
with  old  and  new  slides,  and  flecked  with  snow,  constantly  enlarged.  There  were  some  terrible  rents  in  the  side  of  Clay,  red  as  half-closed 

wounds,  and  in  one  place  the 
mountain  seemed  riven  to  its 
center.  It  was  this  gulf  that 
the  first  climber  said  it  was  such 
a  precipice  he  could  scarce  dis 
cern  the  bottom.  The  rifts  in 
the  walls  of  the  ravine,  the 
blasted  fir-trees  leaning  over 
the  abyss,  and  clutching  the 
rocks  with  a  death-grip,  the 
rocks  themselves,  tormented, 
formidable,  impending,  as 
tounded  by  their  vivid  portrayal 
of  the  formless,  their  sugges 
tions  of  the  agony  in  which 
these  mountains  were  brought 
forth." 

But  if  there  be  grandeur  in 
the  chaotic  landscape  which 
spreads  out  before  the  startled 
vision  of  the  spectator  on  the 
mountain  breast,  what  must  be 
the  sensation  inspired  by  the 
tremendous  view  that  is  afforded 
from  the  summit?  It  is  the 
feeling  of  complete  separation 
from  the  earth,  of  suspension 
in  the  sky  and  looking  down 
upon  the  world  below.  The 


UPPER  JACKSON   FALLS,  WILD-CAT  RIVER,   NEW   HAMPSHIRE. 


exhilaration    that    comes    from 


conquering  a  mighty  thing;  the  solemnity  of  being  face  to  face  with  infinity.  But  gradually  an  orderly  array  of  magnificence  and  compre 
hensible  grandeur  appears,  as  peak  upon  peak  is  resolved  into  definable  chains,  clusters,  or  detached  masses.  Hills  draw  apart,  valleys 
open,  streams  and  cascades  sparkle  in  their  tortuous  beds,  while  the  skirts  of  the  mountains  are  dotted  with  rich  colors  and  the  meadow- 
lands  become  a  fringe  of  emerald  encompassing  their  irregular  bases.  Almost  independent  of  the  will,  the  eye  wanders  from  summit  to 
summit,  making  a  slow  circuit  of  the  crenated  horizon,  until  it  is  arrested  by  a  vast  spread  of  gleaming  white  that  at  first  sight  may  be 


26 


402 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


mistaken  for  a  luminous  cloud  in  the  southeast.  More  careful  observation  reveals  that  it  is  the  ocean,  one  hundred  miles  away,  and  by  the 
help  of  telescope  vessels  may  be  distinguished,  and  even  the  number  of  sails  which  each  craft  carries. 

Amazing,  splendid,  and  even  thrilling  as  the  view  unquestionably  is  from  the  top  of  White  Mountain,  yet  it  cannot  compare,  for 
either  extent  or  grandeur,  with  that  obtained  from  the  summit  of  Pike's  Peak.  Not  so  great  in  altitude  as  its  nobler  rival  of  the  Rockies, 
it  is  wanting  in  other  conditions 
to  make  it  equal,  chief  of  which 
is  the  usually  heavy  and  hazy 
atmosphere  that  is  due  to  prox 
imity  to  the  sea,  thus  interfering 
with  the  range  of  vision,  and 
more  frequently  interposing 
clouds  to  shut  off  the  view  en 
tirely. 

On  the  highest  point  of 
Mount  Washington  the  Gov 
ernment  has  built  an  observa 
tory  and  signal  station,  and  a 
very  excellent  hotel  has  also 
been  added,  for  the  accommo 
dation  of  those  who  desire  to 
spend  a  night  at  this  great 
height,  and  to  experience  the 
sensation  of  a  snow-storm  in 
mid-summer.  A  curiosity  re 
cently  added  to  the  other 
attractions  of  the  summit  is  an 
electric  search-light  of  100,000 
candle-power,  at  a  cost  of 
$7,000,  which  is  controlled 
from  the  foot  of  the  tower  by 
electric  motors.  Telegraphic 
signals  flashed  by  this  monster 
light  have  been  interpreted  at 
Portland,  Maine,  which  is 

eighty-five  miles  distant. 

~  .    ..,     ,.  LIGHT-HOUSE   IN  THE   HARBOR  OF   PORTLAND,   MAINE. 

From  Mount  Washington, 

the  tourist  who  delights  to  revel  among  the  wonderful  scenes  of  this  tumultuary  and  anarchistic  region,  where  nature  is  in  disarrangement 
through  the  operation  of  forces  that  long  since  have  spent  themselves,  usually  proceeds  west  by  Thorn  Hill,  through  Carter  Notch,  and  thus 
arrives  at  the  village  of  Jackson,  the  center  of  another  district  of  great  scenic  interest.  The  town  is  but  a  handful  of  pretty  white  cottages, 
but  it  is  in  the  quiet  isolation  of  a  mountain-engirdled  vale,  and  the  very  lonesomeness  of  its  situation  gives  the  place  an  inexpressible 


LOWER  GATEWAY  TO  CRAWFORD  NOTCH,  WHITE  MOUNTAINS,  NEW  HAMPSHIRE. 


404 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


fascination,  for  it  is  like  meeting  cheerful  company  in  the  valley  of  desolation.  The  largest  house,  commanding  respect  by  reason  of  its 
size,  and  exciting  reverence  for  its  holy  purposes,  is  a  frame  church,  in  whose  belfry  the  pigeons  swarm,  undisturbed  by  the  deep  tones  of 
the  bell  that  summons  the  hamlet  to  worship.  How  mournfully  it  peals  out  the  first  stroke,  as  if  awakening  the  town  from  sleep,  so  still  is 
the  place;  but  from  a  toll  it  becomes  a  chime,  as  the  notes  reverberate  from  hill  to  hill,  until  the  noise  is  reassuring,  that  however  lifeless 
things  may  have  seemed,  the  church-bell  has  power  to  stir  the  people  into  mental  if  not  physical  activity.  All  about  are  mountains,  Eagle, 
Wild-Cat,  Tin,  Iron  and  Thorn, 
the  sides  of  which  have  been 
cleared  of  their  forest  growths 
and  stone,  and  brought  under 
cultivation,  which  add  mate 
rially  to  the  picturesque  land 
scape  of  which  the  village  is 
the  natural  center. 

Wild -Cat  River  cuts  the 
town  of  Jackson  in  twain,  a 
stream  which  is  in  fact  a  mount 
ain  cataract,  filling  the  air  about 
with  its  incessant  roar.  Within 
less  than  two  hundred  yards 
of  the  place  the  river  makes 
a  swift  descent  over  granite 
ledges,  which  it  has  washed  to 
almost  whiteness,  and  near  the 
bridge  it  is  divided  by  a  large 
bowlder  into  two  cascades  that 
are  half-concealed  by  the  rich 
foliage  that  bends  down  to  re 
ceive  the  refreshing  spray.  The 
crest  of  the  falls  is  split  by  huge 
stones  and  the  main  stream  has 
overcome  the  obstacles  in  its 
way  by  cutting  a  passage  under 
the  rocks,  after  which  it  shoots 
down  the  ledge  and  becomes  a 
faithful  servant  to  a  miller, who  MINOT'S  LEDGE  LIGHT-HOUSE,  OFF  COHASSET,  MASSACHUSETTS. 

has  utilized  its  power.  Besides  these  cataracts  there  are  several  others,  principal  among  which  is  Goodrich  Falls,  at  which  point  the  river 
pours  its  restless  flood  over  a  precipice  eighty  feet  high.  Bridal  Veil  Cascades  are  a  mile  further  up  the  river,  but  there  is  a  pleasant  bridle 
path  all  the  way,  and  visitors  to  this  district  rarely  fail  to  pay  their  respects  to  this  very  interesting  part  of  the  stream.  The  bed  of  the  river 
is  full  of  enormous  bowlders,  and  its  flow  takes,  accordingly,  an  erratic  course;  in  fact,  in  every  direction  save  upward.  At  the  cascades 
the  stream  is  parted  by  an  elevation  in  the  center  of  the  ledge,  and  thus  falls  in  a  double  sheet  at  almost  right  angles,  where,  gathering  new 


PROSPECT  FROM  THE  SUMMIT  OF  WHITE  MOUNTAINS,  NEW  HAMPSHIRE. 


406 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


force  again,  it  goes  rushing  away  to  join  the  Androscoggin,  which  bears  its  waters  to  the  sea.  A  tour  of  the  mountains  having  been  com 
pleted,  our  photographer  doubled  upon  his  tracks  and  returned  to  the  Profile  House,  from  which  road-terminus  he  crossed  the  twelve-mile 
interval  to  North  Woodstock,  and  there  took  train  on  the  Concord  and  Montreal  Railroad  for  points  of  attraction  towards  the  southwest. 
The  mountain  region,  however,  was  not  yet  entirely  passed,  for  many  prominent  elevations,  such  as  Mounts  Moosilauke,  Tecumseh, 
Tri-pyramid,  Welch,  Fisher,  Stinson,  Irael,  and  others,  continued  in  view  until  Ashland  was  reached,  at  which  place  a  stop  was  made  to 
visit  Squam  Lake,  one  of  the  most  exquisite  sheets  of  water  in  the  world.  It  is  irregular  in  shape,  but  about  six  miles  long  by  half  as  many 
broad.  The  expanse  is  not  great,  but  the  beauties  which  it  presents  are  charming  in  the  extreme.  Over  its  bosom  are  scattered  numerous 
islands  which  are  very  bowers  of  beauty,  green  with  thickets  of  hazel  and  margined  with  mosaics  of  wild  flowers.  The  waters  are  of  such 
limpid  purity  that  they  swarm  with  fish,  which  may  be  seen  frisking  and  playing  tag  twenty  feet  below  the  surface.  The  shores  are  banked 
but  level,  and  along  the  edge  is  a  perfect  carriage-road,  making  a 
circuit  of  twenty-one  miles,  affording  the  finest  excursion  that  can  be 
.made  by  vehicle.  Squam  Lake  is  separated  from  Lake  Winnipiseogee 

by  a  strip  of  land  two 

miles    wide,    and    the 

village  of  Center  Har 
bor   lies   on   the   west 

shore    of    the    latter, 

where  steamer  may  be 

taken    for    a    ride    to 

Wolfborough,  twelve 

miles    distant.      The 

trip  is  a  delightful  one 

through  narrow  chan 
nels  between  islands  of 

exceeding    beauty,   so 

thickly   strewed  over 

the  water  as  to  make 

the  way  appear  like  a 

labyrinth.      Six  miles 

northwest  of  the  lake 

is  an  eminence  over 
COG-WHEEL    RAILWAY  UP  MT.  WASHINGTON.   twQ   thousan(j    feet  MONUMENT  AT  PLYMOUTH  ROCK,  MASSACHUSETTS. 

high,  known  as  Red  Hill,  which  is  annually  visited  by  many  hundreds  of  tourists.  There  is  a  good  carriage-road  to  the  base,  but  the 
ascent  is  so  steep  and  rugged  that  by  foot  or  horse-back  is  the  only  means  for  gaining  the  summit.  Though  not  nearly  so  lofty  as  a 
score  or  more  of  the  mountains  we  have  mentioned,  yet  visitors  maintain  that  the  view  afforded  from  its  peak  exceeds  in  extent  and  mag 
nificence  that  obtained  from  the  observatory  of  Mount  Washington  or  the  summits  of  any  of  its  brothers.  This  superiority  is  due  to  the 
absence  of  intervening  peaks,  as  Red  Hill  is  isolated,  and  overlooks  a  comparatively  level  district,  in  which  Squam  and  Winnipiseogee 
Lakes  are  conspicuously  visible,  with  their  ragged  shore-lines  and  lovely  islands  clearly  definable. 

From  Wolfborough  the  route  was  east  by  the  Maine  Central  Railroad  to  Portland,  and  thence  by  steamer  to  Boston.    There  are  many 
beautiful  places  in  the  vicinity  of  Portland,  and  particularly  about  the  popular  summer  resorts  of  Mount  Desert  Island  and  Bar  Harbor;  but 


BRIDAL  VEIL  CASCADE,  WHITE   MOUNTAINS. 


408 

much  must  be  sacrificed  to  the  limit  of  space, 
for  no  one  book  can  ever  contain  pictures  of 
all  the  natural  scenery  that  is  worthy  to  be 
reproduced.  Among  other  photographs 
taken  in  and  about  Portland,  we  have  room 
for  only  one,  viz.:  the  light-house  on  Cape 
Elizabeth,  in  the  harbor,  a  dreary  desolation 
of  stone,  where  the  ocean  is  treacherous  and  a 
warning  to  incoming  vessels  is  indispensable. 

Boston  is  historic  ground,  around  which 
are  many  sacred  spots  perpetuated  in  patri 
otic  memories.  It  is  a  great  city;  but  the 
traveled  visitor  is  indifferent  to  municipal 
sights,  and  is  restless  to  pay  his  tribute  of 
respect  and  curiosity  to  those  shrines  that 
keep  in  mind  the  reverent  character  of  the 
Puritan,  and  the  heroism  of  the  Revolution 
ary  soldier.  It  is  hard  to  resist  this  infectious 
temptation  to  photograph  monuments  and 
battle-fields,  when  one  is  walking  upon  the 
very  famous  dust,  and  reading  inscriptions 
recording  the  valor  of  those  who  fought  for 
our  National  Independence;  but  this  is  a 
volume  devoted  to  American  scenery  rather 
than  to  American  history,  a  subject  which 
ought  to  inspire  equal  patriotic  sentiment, 
and  monumental  tributes  must  therefore  be 
omitted,  or  casually  mentioned  by  incidental 
reference,  as  may  appear  proper. 

From  Boston  our  artist  proceeded  by  a 
train  on  the  Old  Colony  Railroad  to  Cohasset, 
a  town  which  it  has  been  truthfully  said 
marks  one  of  the  most  interesting,  most 
wildly  beautiful  bits  of  nature  on  any  coast. 

"This  town,"  let  it  be  said,  "marks 
one  of  the  most  interesting,  most  wildly 
beautiful  bits  of  nature  on  any  known  coast. 
In  this  situation  are  to  be  found  all  the 
beauties  and  all  the  terrors  which  ocean 
scenes  can  compass.  The  history  of  Cohasset, 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


THE  OLD  TOWER  AT  NEWPORT,   RHODE   ISLAND. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


409 


for  the  past  two  hundred  and  fifty  years,  has  in  it  an  element  personal  to  every  civilized  people  on  the  globe,  since  all  have  sent  their  ships 
and  their  travelers  this  way,  and  added  names  to  the  death-roll  hereabouts.  The  crags  and  ledges  along  these  shores  have  taken  part  in 
ocean  tragedies  for  generations,  and  have  witnessed  more  of  human  suffering  and  the  extremity  of  distress  than  often  falls  to  the  lot  of  natural 
scenes.  Upon  their  faces  the  ocean  surges  have  never  ceased  to  dash  themselves  since  the  morning  of  creation.  Here  the  whiteness  never 
goes  out  of  the  line  of  surf;  and  often  the  conditions  are  of  shattered  waters  flying  in  the  air,  of  roaring  breakers  crashing  into  fragments 

along  the  rocks,  of  great  masses 
of  billows  lashed  into  fury,  and 
resistless  in  their  commonest 
attacks  by  all  except  the  natural 
barriers  to  their  progress  here 
set  up." 

Beautiful,  commanding, 
stirring  as  the  scenes  are  about 
Cohasset's  bounding  shores,  yet 
the  tragedies  which  have 
occurred  in  the  treacherous 
approaches  to  the  harbor  are  both 
numerous  and  heart-appalling. 
On  these  very  rocks,  where  the 
waters  usually  play  in  such  happy 
abandon,  more  than  seven  score 
of  persons  from  a  single  ship — 
the  St.  John,  in  October,  1849— 
were  dashed  to  their  deaths,  and 
disasters  attended  by  less  mor 
tality  became  so  common  that 
the  Government  erected  a  light 
house  at  Minot's  Ledge,  which 
is  two  miles  off  Cohasset  Point, 
where  the  hidden  rocks  are  most 
dangerous  to  shipping. 

From  Cohasset  the  trip  was 
south,  by  the  Old  Colony,  along 
the  Atlantic   shore,   passing 
many  points  of  great   interest, 
But  on  the  way,  Daniel  Webster's  farm  is  pointed  out,  located 


THE  CLIFFS  AT  NEWPORT,   RHODE   ISLAND. 


though  for  scenery  there  is  nothing  but  marshes  and  a  waste  of  sandy  beach, 
on  a  level  strip  between  the  railroad  and  Marshfield  Neck,  where  it  would  appear  that  raising  clams  might  be  more  profitably  pursued  than 
the  growing  of  grain  or  vegetable.  Quaint  scenes,  reminders  of  the  olden  times  when  stage-coaching  was  the  most  luxurious  mode  of  travel, 
and  pot-hooks  and  hangers  were  adjuncts  of  the  crane  that  rendered  the  fire-place  the  sole  convenience  for  cooking,  pass  in  review  and  are 
a  source  of  the  greatest  interest  to  those  of  a  retrospective  and  reflective  turn  of  mind.  Here  and  there  we  observe  old  Puritan  churches 


410 

and  equally  old-fashioned  people,  whose  appear 
ances  indicate  that  they  have  not  been  widely 
distributed  since  the  Mayflower  landed.  There 
is  a  Miles  Standish,  John  Alden  and  Priscilla  in 
every  village,  and  the  houses,  in  many  cases, 
tell  of  a  time  quite  as  remote.  Indeed,  in  the 
little  but  ancient  hamlet  of  Greenbush,  which  is 
within  a  half-dozen  miles  of  Cohasset,  and 
twice  as  far  to  Nantasket,  an  intensely  fashiona 
ble  resort,  one  may  see  the  identical  old  oaken 
bucket  and  the  crazy  sweep  by  which  "dripping 
with  coolness  it  rose  from  the  well,"  which  in 
spired  Wood  worth's  immortal  lay  in  1817. 
There,  too,  is  the  same  old  house,  hiding  behind 
a  clump  of  trees,  under  which  the  poet  sat  and 
drank  from  the  "full  blushing  goblet,"  which, 
alas  for  human  weakness,  he  really  coveted  less 
than  a  beaker  of  good  wine.  . 

Twenty-five  miles  south  of  Cohasset  is  the 
historic  town  of  Plymouth,  and  right  in  front  of 
it  is  a  harbor  made  by  a  long  neck  of  land, 
parallel  with  the  shore,  and  known  as  the  Cow- 
Yard,  in  which  the  Mayflower  came  to  anchor 
with  her  precious  cargo  of  forefathers,  on  a  bleak 
December  day  in  1620.  Mr.  Samuel  Adams 
Drake  has  written: 

"Plymouth  is  the  American  Mecca.  It 
does  not  contain  the  tomb  of  the  prophet,  but 
the  rock  of  the  forefathers,  their  traditions  and 
their  graves.  The  first  impressions  of  a  stranger 
are  disappointing,  for  the  oldest  town  in  New 
England  looks  as  fresh  as  if  built  within  the 
century.  There  is  not  much  that  is  suggestive 
of  the  old  life  to  be  seen  there.  Except  the 
hills,  the  heaven,  and  the  sea,  there  is  nothing 
antique;  save  a  few  carefully  cherished  relics, 
nothing  that  has  survived  the  day  of  the  Pil 
grims."  And  another  writer  of  recent  times 
declares  "it  would  be  difficult  to  name  any 
other  place  in  America  with  such  a  profoundly 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


PURGATORY  CHASM,  NEAR  NEWPORT,  RHODE   ISLAND. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


411 


interesting  historical  event  as  that  which  has  made  the  name  of  Plymouth  Rock  forever  famous  in  the  annals  of  devotion  and  freedom. 
Upwards  of  fifty  thousand  persons  come  here  every  summer,  making  reverent  pilgrimages  to  the  cradle  of  American  civilization.  For 
these,  and  for  all  who  love  the  antique  and  historic,  Plymouth  has  well-nigh  unrivaled  attractions.  Here  is  the  renowned  rock,  down  by 
the  water-side,  overarched  by  a  stately  granite  canopy,  in  whose  top  are  the  bones  of  several  of  the  Pilgrims.  Up  in  the  village  rises  the 
massive  structure  of  Pilgrim  Hall,  consecrated  to  relics  and  memorials  of  the  first  colonists.  Near  this  shrine  is  the  court-house,  with  rare 
records  and  documents  of  the  seventeenth  century.  On  a  noble  hill  rises  the  Pilgrim  National  Monument,  a  vast  pile  of  carved  granite 

crowned  by  a  very  impressive 
statue  of  Faith,  forty  feet  high, 
and  the  largest  stone  figure  in 
the  world. 

"Burial  Hill  is  one  of  the 
most  interesting  localities  in 
New  England.  On  every  side 
are  the  tombs  and  monuments 
of  the  founders  of  the  State  and 
their  descendants.  Above  these 
sacred  graves  the  pleased  eye 
wanders  over  an  exquisite  pano 
rama  of  sea  and  shore,  lonely 
islands,  far-reaching  promon 
tories,  and  distant  blue  hills,  out 
across  the  blue  sea  to  where  the 
sandy  strand  of  Cape  Cod  bounds 
the  view,  low  down  on  the  hori 
zon.  On  this  bleak  summit 
stood  the  fortified  log-church 
and  watch-tower,  the  former 
bearing  six  three-pound  cannon 
on  its  flat  roof,  and  the  latter 
occupied  by  vigilant  sentinels." 
It  is  about  forty  miles  from 
Plymouth  to  Newport,  Rhode 
Island,  one  of  the  ultra-fashion 
able  summer  seaside  resorts, 
and  thither  our  artist  repaired 

to  take  views  of  that  vicinity.  Newport  is  not  only  famous  for  its  fine  bathing  beach,  elegant  villas,  and  its  harbor  specially  adapted  for 
yacht-racing;  there  is  much  more  to  recommend  the  city  to  visitors  than  these  means  of  recreation  and  pleasant  vanities.  Commer 
cially,  Newport  is  a  metropolis  of  looms;  historically,  it  is  a  city  of  great  consequence;  and  scenically,  a  place  of  extraordinary  interest. 
The  Old  Tower  at  Newport  has  been  for  centuries  an  object  of  curious  enquiry  and  patient  investigation.  For  many  years  the  opinion 
obtained  generally  that  it  was  a  relic  of  the  Norsemen's  discovery  and  occupation  of  the  country,  five  hundred  years  before  the  time  of 


NEGRO-HEAD  CLIFFS,  NEWPORT,   RHODE   ISLAND. 


412 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


Columbus,  and  that  in  some  way  the  building  was  connected  with  Dniidic  worship.  The  Druids  of  England  and  France  performed  their 
religious  ceremonies  under  oak  trees  and  always  in  the  open  air.  but  this  fact  did  not  affect  the  belief  current  for  so  long  a  time  that  the 
Stone  Tower  was  the  remains 
of  either  an  edifice  or  a  monu 
ment  erected  by  the  Druids. 
When  this  opinion  finally 
changed  to  the  more  reasonable 
though  equally  false  one  that 
the  tower  was  the  relic  of  a  fort 
built  by  Norsemen  sea-kings 
about  the  year  985,  historians 
appeared  to  be  satisfied  and  en 
quiry  ceased  for  a  long  while. 
Finally,  investigation  of  the 
Runic  inscriptions  on  the  Digh- 
ton  Rock,  in  Massachusetts, 
revived  curiosity  in  the  tower, 
and  the  result  of  the  last  inves 
tigation  is  the  opinion  that  it  is 
the  ruins  of  a  wind-mill  that 
was  built  some  time  in  the  seven 
teenth  century.  The  truth, 
however,  may  as  well  be  told, 
that  notwithstanding  what  his 
torians  say  to  the  contrary,  no 
one  knows,  or  is  likely  ever  to 
know,  when,  by  whom,  or  for 
what  purpose  the  so-called  tower 
was  built.  It  is  a  question  about 
which  there  can  be  nothing  but 
speculation. 

Newport  is  located  on  a 
peninsula  on  the  east  shore  of 
Narragansett  Bay,  which  is  a 
splendid  harbor,  having  an 
anchorage  of  thirty  feet  in  low 
water.  The  scenery  about  the 
place,  too,  is  very  fine,  and  is 


SOLDIERS'   MONUMENT  ON   EAST  ROCK,   NEW   HAVEN,  CONNECTICUT. 


brought  into  advantageous  view  by  a  charming  drive-way  that  extends  along  the  beach  and  entirely  around  the  city.     A  part  of  the  sea-shore 
line  is  very  rocky  and  precipitous,  and  the  assaults  of  terrific  breakers  for  many  ages  have  worn  these  cliffs  into  wonderful  shapes. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

Purgatory  Chasm  is,  perhaps,  the  most  remarkable  example  of  wave  force  in  this  vicinity,  though  the  agency  of  water  has,  no  doubt,  been 
reinforced  by  some  other  natural  power,  such  as  glacier,  earthquake  or  volcano.  Near-by  are  Hanging  Rocks,  where  Berkeley  is  said  to 
have  composed  his  Minute  Philosophy;  and  less  than  three  hundred  yards  distant  is  Spouting  Cave,  where  the  surf  dashes  into  a  grotto  and 
thence  through  a  hole  in  the  roof  to  a  height  at  times  of  fifty  feet,  affording  a  beautiful  spectacle.  Other  points  of  interest  along  the  cliffs 
are  individualized  by  such  names  as  Eastman's,  Green's  End,  Lime  Rock,  Negro-Head  Cliffs,  the  Flints,  the  Dumplings,  Cockle-Shell 
Ledge,  etc.  After  a  brief  circuit  of  Newport's  attractions,  our  artist  departed  for  Western  Connecticut  and  thence  to  Albany,  there  to  take 

boat  down  the  Hudson  for  New 
York  City.  The  route  lay 
through  New  Haven,  where  a 
short  stop  was  made  to  take  a 
picture  of  East  Rock  and  the 
Soldiers'  Monument  thereon. 
East  Rock  is  a  bluff  360  feet 
high,  on  the  north  side  of  the 
city,  to  which  a  beautiful 
carriage-road  leads,  and  from 
its  summit  a  wide  extent  of 
charming  landscape  is  pre 
sented,  taking  in  a  part  of  the 
Connecticut  Valley  towards  the 
west,  Yale  College  on  the  east, 
and  spanning  Long  Island 
Sound  on  the  south,  so  that 
when  the  weather  is  clear  the 
low  banks  of  Long  Island  may 
be  distinguished. 

From  New  Haven  the  route 
was  north  and  west  over  the 
Housatonic  system  to  Pittsfield, 
Massachusetts,  in  the  Berkshire 
region,  a  city  of  some  17,000 
people,  and  noted  for  its  many 
interesting  buildings  of  national 
BALANCED  ROCK,  NEAR  PITTSFIELD,  MASSACHUSETTS.  reputation,  as  well  as  for  the 

lovely  scenery  that  environs  it.  The  place  is  elegantly  situated  on  a  high  plateau,  with  the  Taconic  Mountains  on  the  west  and  the 
Hoosac  Range  commanding  the  eastern  view.  It  will  be  remembered  by  students  of  history  that  Fighting  Parson  Allen,  of  Revolutionary 
fame,  was  pastor  of  the  First  Methodist  Church  in  Pittsfield,  and  they  will  be  gratified  to  know  that  the  building  is  still  standing  and  that 
it  exhibits  little  impairment  from  age.  The  Agassiz  Association,  with  an  enrolled  membership  of  20,000,  has  its  headquarters  in  the  city, 
and  the  place  is  also  the  seat  of  many  prominent  historical  and  educational  institutions.  But  it  is  the  scenery  thereabout  that  interests  us 
most.  Waconah  Falls  is  a  pretty  cascade  ten  miles  from  the  city,  and  still  nearer  is  Roaring  Brook,  that  rushes  down  the  side  of  a  mountain 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

in  torrential  flow,  through  a  gap  known  as  Tories'  Cave,  and  contributes  its  waters  to  Ashley  Pond,  whence  the  city's  supply  is  obtained. 
L,ake  Onota  is  a  picturesque  sheet  two  miles  west  of  Pittsfield,  and  near-by  is  Balanced  Rock,  one  of  the  greatest  natural  curiosities  in 
America.  It  is  a  tremendous  bowlder,  as  the  illustration  shows,  the  estimated  weight  of  which  is  480  tons,  and  is  balanced  on  a  point  that 
is  only  one  foot  square.  So  unstable  is  its  appearance,  resting  on  such  a  slender  foundation,  that  it  looks  as  if  a  zephyr  might  topple  it 
over,  yet  so  firmly  poised  that  an  army  of  giants  could  hardly  disturb  its  equilibrium. 

In  a  rocky  field  three  miles  from  the  city  is  another  great  natural  curiosity  known  as  Cross  Rock,  which  has  been  singularly 
cleft,  by  some  unknown  agency, 
into  the  form  of  a  perfect  cross, 
to  which  a  few  superstitious  peo 
ple  formerly  attributed  remark 
able  healing  virtues,  but  which 
no  one  any  longer  regards. 

Four  miles  east  of  Pittsfield 
is  the  village  of  Dalton,  where 
immense  quantities  of  paper  are 
manufactured,  and  on  the  Pitts- 
field  line  is  located  the  mill  that 
produces  all  the  Government 
bank-note  paper.  West  Pitts- 
field,  about  five  miles  from  the 
city  proper,  is  also  an  interest 
ing  place,  reposing  under  the 
shadows  of  Taconic  Mountains, 
and  celebrated  as  being  the 
national  headquarters  of  what  is 
known  as  the  ' '  United  Society 
of  Believers  in  Christ's  Second 
Appearing. ' '  This  curious  sect 
of  Shakers,  disciples  of  Ann  Lee, 
founded  the  village  more  than  a 
century  ago,  and  their  "  Millen 
nial"  church,  which  was  built 
soon  after,  still  stands  as  one  of 

the  most  conspicuous  buildings  CROSS  ROCK>   NEAR  P'TTSF.ELD,  MASSACHUSETTS. 

in  New  England.  Massachusetts  has  been  famous  as  the  home  of  religious  denominations  possessing  peculiar  tenets  almost  since  the  land 
ing  of  the  Pilgrims;  but  from  the  days  of  Salem  witchcraft  to  the  present,  few  sects  have  adopted  more  curious  beliefs  and  ceremonials  than 
the  Shakers.  Yet,  to  their  credit  let  it  be  spoken,  they  are  good  citizens,  honest,  generous,  faithful,  industrious  and  kindly  in  all  their 
intercourse  with  the  world  as  well  as  among  themselves. 

From  Pittsfield  our  artist  proceeded  to  New  Albany,  and  thence  by  boat  to  New  York,  where  he  joined  the  two  other  photographers, 
the  route  of  the  third  having  been  east  by  way  of  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad,  which  now  remains  to  be  described. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

ON  HISTORIC  FIELDS  OF  VIRGINIA  AND  PENNSYLVANIA. 


^  "THE  instructions  given  upon  the  separation  of  our  three  photographers,  after  leaving  St.  Louis,  were  necessarily  indefinite,  and 
\     /      discrimination  in  the  selection  of  routes  and  views  had  to  be  left  to  individual  judgment,  since  weather  and  conditions  play  an 

<g)  (g)  important  part  in  the  artists'  profession.  Our  third  photographer  departed  somewhat  from  the  route  which  he  had  selected  to 
cover,  for  after  the  separation,  instead  of  proceeding  directly  east  through  Pennsylvania,  as  was  his  first  intention,  he  went  south 
to  Cincinnati  and  east  by  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad,  through  the  lovely  Blue  Grass  region  of  Kentucky,  making  his  first 
stop  at  Charleston,  the  capital  of  West  Virginia.  The  capital  is  a  small  place  of  something  less  than  7,000  inhabitants,  and  with 

nothing  of  particular  importance  to  visitors  except  the  mountain  scenery  which  invests  it.     The  Kanawha  River,  upon  which  the  town  is 

situated,  is  navigable  for  small 
crafts  from  this  point  to  its 
junction  with  the  Ohio,  but 
above  Charleston  the  stream  is 
treacherous  and  its  channel  so 
rock-infested  that  a  skiff  can 
hardly  follow  the  stream  without 
danger.  Thirty  miles  from  the 
capital  are  the  Kanawha  Falls, 
or  cataracts,  where  the  river 
goes  tearing  over  several 
benches  of  thinly  stratified 
rocks,  and  has  scooped  out  a 
pool  of  very  great  depth,  where 
fishing  is  said  to  be  excellent. 
On  the  north  side  of  the  river 
at  this  point  are  the  Gauley 
Mountains,  rising  to  a  consid 
erable  altitude,  but  so  gently 
that  the  slopes  have  been  re 
claimed  from  thick  timber 
growths  and  converted  into 
beautiful  farms. 

The  scenery  all  through 
the  valley  of  the  Kanawha  is 
tumultuously  grand,  but  nine 

miles  beyond  the  falls  it  attains  its  greatest  glory.     Here  the  tremendous  cliffs  rise  vertically  to  a  height  of  1,200  feet,  and  at  a  point 

called  "The  Hawk's  Nest"  a  breast  of  the  bluffs  extends  out  over  the  river  in  a  perilous  shelf  1,000  feet  high,  from  which  lofty  elevation 
4*5 


A  MIXED  TRAIN   FROM  THE  WILDERNESS. 


416 

the  river  becomes  a  ribbon  of  white,  and  a 
train  of  cars  running  along  the  mountain 
skirts  on  the  opposite  side  looks  like  a 
string  of  army-ants  hurrying  to  an  attack. 
The  view  down  the  valley  is  one  of  ineffa 
ble  magnificence,  presenting  as  it  does  a 
double  file  of  noble  mountains  dressed  in 
uniforms  of  lovely  green,  which,  as  they 
recede,  assume  a  sky-blue  hue,  and  then 
gradually  fade  away  in  the  opalescent  mist 
of  distance. 

Thirty  miles  above  Kanawha  Falls,  at 
a  town  called  Hinton,  the  New  and  Green- 
Brier  Rivers  unite  to  form  the  Kanawha, 
and  here  the  scenery  is  likewise  charm 
ingly  picturesque.  The  line  of  lofty  bluffs 
continues  along  the  south  shore  of  New 
River,  under  which  the  Chesapeake  and 
Ohio  Railroad  runs  upon  a  bare  passage 
way,  while  the  north  line  is  marked  by 
graceful  mountains  that  in  the  distance 
look  like  lines  of  beauty  tracing  the  hori 
zon.  In  some  places  the  ledges  are  1,200 
feet  high,  and  the  river  so  contracted  that 
the  canon  is  almost  dark  at  midday.  The 
view  is  further  diversified  by  successive 
rapids  and  cataracts,  while  at  frequent  in 
tervals  the  bluffs  recede,  leaving  stretches 
of  fertile  valley  that  are  in  a  high  state  of 
cultivation,  with  pretty  farm  houses  dotting 
the  landscape  and  imparting  an  appearance 
of  prosperous  animation  to  these  pleasing 
interludes.  The  road  follows  the  valley  of 
Green-Brier  River  twenty  miles  further,  to 
Caldwell,  then  passes  through  White  Sul 
phur  Springs,  and  a  few  minutes  later 
crosses  the  James  River  at  Clifton  Forge, 
where  that  romantic  stream,  drawing  its 
inspiration  from  the  Alleghenies,  cuts  its 
way  through  the  Blue  Ridge  Mountains. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


FALLING  SPRING,  NEAR  WARM  SPRINGS,   VIRGINIA. 


KANAWHA  FALLS,  WEST  VIRGINIA. 

27 


4i8 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


Clifton  Forge  is  forty  miles  east  of  White  Sulphur  Springs,  and  from  this  junction  a  branch  of  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Road  runs 
northeast  to  form  a  connection  with  the  Shenandoah  Valley  Railroad  at  Waynesborough.  All  the  region  hereabout  is  very  rugged,  and 
intersected  by  beautiful  streams  whose  sources  are  springs  that  break  out  of  the  sides  of  mountains,  and  the  waters  are  generally  more  or 
less  impregnated  with  sulphur.  Eighteen  miles  due  nojth  of  Clifton  Forge,  and  reached  by  a  delightful  road  that  winds  through  charming 
vales,  is  the  village  of  Warm  Springs,  the  capital  of  Bath  county,  and  adjacent  are  the  Warm  Sulphur  Springs,  which  attract  so  many 
visitors  in  search  of  health  and  fine  scenery.  It  is  a  mountain  town,  whose  population  fluctuates  with  the  season,  for  while  the  place  is 
one  of  some  animation  from  April  to  October,  during  the  other  months  there  are  not  enough  people  in  the  village  to  keep  the  mud-daubers 
out  of  the  houses.  A  more 
picturesque  district,  however, 
can  scarcely  be  found;  too 
mountainous  to  permit  agri 
culture,  nature  has  given  other 
blessings  than  fertility  to  the 
region.  The  climate  is  ex 
tremely  invigorating,  and  the 
numerous  springs  possess  me 
dicinal  properties  of  undoubted 
value,  while  the  scenery  is  in 
spiring  to  even  the  most 
phlegmatic.  One  of  the  chief 
objects  which  serves  to  further 
diversify  the  landscape  of  high- 
lifted  peaks,  jutting  cliffs, 
meandering  brooks,  green  cov 
erts,  sylvan  solitudes  and  clois 
tral  caverns,  is  Falling  Spring, 
a  sheet  of  rainbow-flecked  water 


that  dashes  over  a  ledge  seventy 
feet  high,  and  which,  seen  from 
a  little  distance,  may  be  likened 
in  appearance  to  the  white 
trailing  trosseau  of  a  bride,  so 
delicate,  graceful,  and  gossamer- 
like  is  its  form,  so  joyous  is  its 

laughter.  After  leaving  Clifton  Forge  the  road  winds  along  the  sinuous  valley  of  James  River,  with  charming  views  on  both  sides,  until 
interest,  charm  and  excitement  are  superseded  by  wonder  as  Natural  Bridge,  that  marvelous  curiosity  of  ages,  is  reached,  and  preparation  is 
immediately  made  to  examine  and  to  photograph  its  astounding  formation  and  immensity.  This  great  natural  wonder,  which  is  an  old 
acquaintance  to  all  school-children,  is  two  miles  from  the  railway  station,  at  the  termination  of  a  very  deep  gorge,  through  which  flows  a 
capricious  little  stream  called  Cedar  Creek.  At  one  time  this  feeble  brook  may  have  been  a  raging  river,  and  needed  bridging,  but  like  an 
old  man,  it  lias  lost  the  vigor  of  former  days  and  fallen  into  the  seventh  age  of  decrepitude.  But  the  bridge  which  Titans  might  have 


WAITING  FOR  TIME  TO  CATCH  UP. 


HAWK'S  NEST  AND  CAfiON  OF  THE   KANAWHA  RIVER,  WEST  VIRGINIA. 


42O 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


constructed  still  spans  the  creek's  deep  bed  and  has  grown  in  mightiness  as  the  waters  below  subsided.  To  speak  with  mathematical 
exactness,  without  employing  statistical  details,  it  may  be  said  that  the  Natural  Bridge  spans  with  graceful  and  architectural  proportions 
the  perpendicular  ledges  of  Cedar  Creek,  which  rise  200  feet  above  the  stream.  The  center  of  its  wondrous  arch  is  forty  feet  in  perpen 
dicular  thickness  and  sixty  feet  wide,  while  the  span  is  exactly  eighty-nine  feet.  A  public  highway  utilizes  the  bridge,  and  it  is  the  only 
means  of  passage  for  wagons  within  a  mile  either  way,  except  by  a  steep  bank,  very  difficult  to  ascend,  a  short  distance  below  the  gorge. 
Just  above  the  bridge  the  creek  bluffs  are  broken  into  masses  that  look  like  immense  buttresses,  pinnacled  at  places  and  reaching  to  a  height 
of  250  feet.  The  most  impos 
ing  view  is  obtained  from  a 
position  fifty  yards  below  the 
bridge,  where  the  arch  appears 
both  lighter  and  higher,  and 
the  walls  more  dangerously 
precipitous.  From  this  point 
of  view  this  world-famous  nat 
ural  structure  appears  as  perfect 
as  if  cut  by  design;  a  colossal 
arch  that  shines  in  the  sun  like 
variegated  marble,  without 
stratification  or  displacement, 
so  high  that  the  largest  sailing 
vessel  might  pass  under  with 
out  touching  the  peak  of  her 
mainmast.  On  the  abutments 
of  the  bridge  are  carved  the 
names  of  many  adventurous 
youths  who  sought  fame  by 
leaving  a  record  of  their  reck 
less  efforts  to  scale  the  dizzy 
heights  of  stone.  George  Wash 
ington  was  not  above  this  am 
bition  to  win  reputation  by 
carving  his  name  higher  up 

than  any  of  his  fellow-youths,  GALBRAITH  SPRINGS,  TENNESSEE. 

and  for  nearly  seventy  years  he 

held  the  honor  of  being  the  most  intrepid  and  expert  wall-climber,  for,  like  Ben  Adam,  his  name  led  all  the  rest.     But  in  1818  this  distinction 

was  surrendered  to  James  Piper,  of  Washington  College,  who  performed  the  daring,  and  what  was  long  thought  to  be  impossible,  feat  of 

climbing  from  the  foot  of  the  abutment  to  the  top  of  the  arch,  an  exploit  so  dangerous  that  no  one  has  since  made  a  mad  attempt  to  repeat 

it.     Thomas  Jefferson  was  moved  to  write  an  eulogium  of  this  incomparable  natural  wonder  in  this  wise: 

"The  Natural  Bridge,  the  most  sublime  of  nature's  works,  though  not  comprehended  under  the  present  head,  must  not  be  preter- 
rnitted.      Though  the  sides  of  this  bridge  are  provided  in  parts  with  a  parapet  of  fixed  rocks,  yet  few  men  have  resolution  to  walk  to  them 


0 

a 


H 

CO 

UJ 


Z 

O 

z 


LJU 

Z 


o 

UJ 


UJ 

z 

tt. 
O 


422 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


and  look  over  into  the  abyss.  If  the  view  from  the  top  be  painful  and  intolerable,  that  from  below  is  delightful  in  an  equal  extreme.  It  is 
impossible  for  the  emotions  arising  from  the  sublime  to  be  felt  beyond  what  they  are  here;  so  beautiful  an  arch,  so  elevated,  so  light  and 
springing,  as  it  were,  up  to  Heaven!  The  rapture  of  the  spectator  is  really  indescribable." 

From  Natural  Bridge  our  photographer  took  train  on  the  Norfolk  and  Western  Railroad,  and  proceeded  southwestwardly  to  the 
junction  of  that  road  with  the  Tennessee,  Virginia  and  Georgia  Railroad,  by  which  he  passed  into  Tennessee  as  far  as  Knoxville,  and  from 
that  point  made  excursions  into  the  famous  East  Tennessee  region,  where  scenes  and  scenery  are  quite  unlike  anything  which  he  had  ever 
before  transferred  to  photographs.  Nowhere  in  all  the  world  are  there  richer  lands,  prettier  women,  braver  men,  finer  landscapes,  and  bigger 
prospects  than  Tennessee  affords.  It  is  a  region  of  boundless  resources  and  charming  views,  and  possessing  as  it  does  so  many  advantages, 
it  likewise  presents  remarkable 
contrasts  and  conditions.  Where 
can  the  scenery  about  Cumber 
land  Gap  be  equaled,  or  the 
panorama  from  the  summit  of 
lyookout  Mountain  be  matched? 
But  there  is  relaxation  in  the 
quiet  views  of  rural  life  in  East 
Tennessee  which  are  here  re 
produced,  and  the  pastime 
reader  as  well  as  the  student  of 
geography,  will  appreciate  the 
restful  change. 

Tennessee  is  the  neutral 
ground  between  North  and 
South,  because  it  does  not  dis 
tinctively  belong  to  either,  but 
its  contiguity  to  both  gives  to  the 
State  some  of  the  characteristics 
of  each.  Adopting  slavery,  it 
is  Southern,  but  developing  a 
strong  pro-Union  sentiment  in 
the  beginning  of  the  civil  war, 
Tennessee  became  Northern 
in  her  affinities;  but  the  slave- 
marks  of  one  hundred  years  have  not  been  effaced  even  after  thirty  years  of  freedom,  for  in  the  country  and  villages  there  are  old  slave- 
cabins,  rickety,  but  still  habitable,  the  homes  of  white-haired  relics  of  ante-war  times,  and  the  new  generation  that  has  not  been  taught  to 
tie  up  their  hair  with  cotton  strings.  All  over  the  South  it  is  the  same;  but  in  East  Tennessee  there  is  something  else  to  bring  back 
old  memories,  for  here  the  brazen  front  of  war  marched  through  the  land,  and  turned  its  fair  acres  of  waving  grain  and  fruitful  orchards 
into  battle-fields,  furrowed  with  dead  and  harrowed  with  destruction.  And  yet  Tennessee  was  pro-Union,  with  secession  tendencies,  because 
her  interests  were  indissolubly  linked  with  the  South.  But  the  wounds  have  all  healed;  the  impetuous  youth  who  went  forth  to  battle  is 
now  a  peace-loving  grandfather;  his  daughter  was  captured  by  a  Yankee,  and  she  has  never  regretted  it,  and  the  railroad  runs  every  day 


PASSAGE  OF  THE   FRENCH   BROAD  RIVER  THROUGH   THE  SMOKY   MOUNTAINS. 


PASSAGE  OF  THE  JAMES  RIVER  THROUGH  THE  BLUE  RIDGE  MOUNTAINS. 


424 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


between  the  two  sections  with  mail-bags  full  of  peace-messages.  Why,  the  war  has  been  over  so  long  that  we  get  mixed  in  our  history, 
and  sometimes  we  are  not  quite  clear  whether  it  was  in  1776  or  1861.  In  fact,  many  of  the  old  farm  houses  along  the  way  look  decidedly 
Revolutionary,  and  none  of  the  mountains  have  changed  or  added  another  wrinkle  to  their  imperturbable  faces. 

In  some  of  the  towns  there  is  a  lazy  air  that  barely  stirs  the  little  wind-mills  on  the  marten-boxes,  and  indolence  and  shiftlessness 
have  their  votaries  even  here.  Up  in  the  mountains  there  are  shadows  of  hard  times,  which  are  projected  into  the  valleys  and  villages  in 
the  form  of  bull-teams  and  crotchety  "mover- wagons."  The  driver  has  a  sang-froid  appearance,  and  as  if  he  was  ahead  of  his  expecta 
tions,  and  is  willing  to  wait  for  tardy  time  to  catch  up.  His  team  is  glad  to  encourage  the  waiting  ambition,  and  lies  down  in  the  street  to 
keep  him  patient  company. 

To  exhibit  the  diversity  of 
scenes  in  East  Tennessee  and 
the  resourceful  expedients  of  the 
people,  photograph  was  made  of 
another  mountaineer's  team, 
whereyi  the  traction  energy  of 
a  bull  is  compared  with  that  of 
a  horse,  to  the  humiliation,  no 
doubt,  of  the  latter.  In  order  to 
throw  a  little  more  animation 
into  the  scene,  our  photographer 
grouped  a  party  of  natives  about 
the  team,  so  that  two  purposes 
might  be  served  with  one  stone, 
and  no  mistake  might  be  made 
as  to  types  of  the  people  and 
their  conveyances. 

On  a  trip  to  the  north 
boundary  of  the  State  several 
lovely  landscape  pictures  were 
secured,  one  of  the  most  exquis 
ite  being  a  view  in  the  vicinity 
of  Galbraith  Springs,  where 
the  headwaters  of  Tennessee 
River  pour  through  Short 


A  SCENE  OF   RURAL   LIFE   IN   NORTH   CAROLINA. 


Mountains,  which  are  the  outposts  of  Cumberland  Range,  and  go  careening  and  pirouetting  in  many  cascades  between  that  point  and  Knox- 
ville.  The  scenery  hereabout  presents  the  majesty  of  imperious  isolation,  the  lonely  grandeur  of  undisputed  lordliness;  and  under  the 
shadows  which  these  towering  mountains  cast,  are  people  that  live  in  a  little  world  of  their  own,  almost  forgetful  that  the  earth  projects 
beyond  the  horizon  of  their  vision.  But  in  this  valley  of  delight  the  flowers  run  riot  over  the  hills,  the  woods  and  fields  are  musical  with 
songs  of  many  birds,  and  there  are  the  sweets  of  peace  and  the  bloom  of  plenty  beneath  these  opalescent  skies. 

From  the  pleasant  vales  about  Galbraith  the  route  was  south  to  Morristown,  and  thence  southeast  along  the  valley  of  the  French 
Broad  River,  through  Unaka  Pass  of  the  Great  Smoky  Mountains,  to  North  Carolina.     Many  writers  have  exhausted  the  dictionary  of 


PICTURED  BLUFFS  ON  NEW  RIVER,  WEST  VIRGINIA. 


426 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


adjectives  in  describing  the  romantic  beauties  of  the  French  Broad,  but  the  stream  and  its  intervales,  bedighted  with  marvelous  cliffs, 
continues  as  nature  made  it,  beyond  the  power  of  description.  The  course  of  this  lovely  stream  cuts  through  the  charming  hills  about 
Asheville  and  pours  its  crystal  waters  through  a  narrow  gorge  until  it  passes  the  blockade  of  the  Smoky  Mountains.  In  this  space  of  forty 
miles  the  French  Broad  is  indeed  a  "racing  river,"  to  which  the  Cherokees  applied  the  name  Tahkceostee,  which  has  that  significance,  for 
it  is  impetuous,  torrential,  terrific.  From  a  gentle  stream  above  Asheville,  by  the  contraction  of  its  banks  below,  the  river  becomes  angry, 
and  the  roar  of  cataract  as  it  rushes  over  opposing  bowlders  fills  the  air  with  noise  like  thunder.  At  Stack  House  the  current  dashes  over 
a  fall  twenty  feet  high,  and  at  Mountain  Island  it  makes  another  leap  and  then  becomes  a  noisy  rapid  to  a  point  kown  as  "  Deep  Water." 
Here  the  mountains  close  in  upon  the  river,  forcing  it  through  a  narrow  channel  only  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  wide  and  forty  feet  deep. 
The  railroad  to  reach  the  opposite  bank,  crosses  the  river  diago 
nally  by  an  iron  bridge,  with  a  clear  span  of  two  hundred  and 
sixty  feet,  squeezing  itself,  as  it  were,  around  the  rocky  face  of 
the  mountain  on  the  right  bank,  to  be  received  with  the  same 
grudging  hospitality  by  the  hard  face  of  the  left  bank,  and  twists 
itself  by  a  very  short  curve  into  line,  which  in  a  very  few  min 
utes  brings  it  into  the  beautiful,  smiling  valley  of  Hot  Springs. 

No  one  has  ever  been  able  to  convey  a  just  idea  of  the 
remarkable  magnificence  of  this  wonderful  canon,  with  its  wild 
and  ceaseless  splendor  of  tumultuous  waters,  its  overhanging 
cliffs,  its  noble  mountains  and  fairy  islets.  In  the  time  of  stage- 
coaching  it  was  an  experience  never  to  be  forgotten — the  day's 
journey  from  Asheville  to  the  Warm  Springs,  along  the  turnpike 
which  followed  the  old  Indian  trail  and  lay  between  the  river  and 
the  cliffs,  hemmed  in  by  the  whirling  emerald  waters  of  the  first 
and  overhung  by  the  fern-draped  escarpments  of  the  last,  with 
vistas  of  wild  and  yet  wilder  beauty  opening  at  every  step. 

Paint  Rock  is  six  miles  below  Hot  Springs,  and  directly  on 
the  line  between  North  Carolina  and  Tennessee.  The  rock  itself 
is  massive  in  size  and  would  attract  attention,  if  not  admiration, 
aside  from  the  legends  which  make  it  famous.  The  name  Paint 
Rock  is  given  to  perpetuate  a  tradition  that  the  Cherokee  Indians 
colored  portions  of  it  with  an  indelible  paint,  and  in  the  form  of 
hieroglyphics  which  no  one  has  been  able  to  decipher,  though 
the  legand  represents  that  it  is  the  tribe's  prayer  to  the  Great 
Spirit;  and  being  approved,  ages  will  not  suffice  to  efface  it.  Twenty  miles  east  of  Asheville  is  Round  Knob,  on  the  line  of  the  Western 
North  Carolina  Railroad  and  nestled  in  the  very  heart  of  the  Blue  Ridge  Mountains,  where  the  scenery  surpasses  in  wildness  and  sublimity 
that  of  any  other  section  of  the  State.  It  is  a  basin  so  completely  shut  in  by  lofty  peaks,  that  if  a  person  were  dropped  into  it  without 
knowing  the  point  of  entrance,  he  would  find  difficulty  in  escaping.  A  brawling  mountain  stream  rushes  by,  in  whose  crystal  waters  bask 
the  speckled  trout  to  tempt  the  angler,  while  near  the  hotel  is  to  be  seen  one  of  the  most  beautiful  spectacles  in  the  world — a  magnificent 
fountain  that  throws  its  spray  two  hundred  and  eighty-six  feet  high,  then  like  a  bridal  veil  floats  off  in  misty  fragments.  It  is  beautiful 
by  day,  but  far  more  beautiful  in  the  moonlight,  as  it  throws  its  sparkling  vapor  high  in  the  air,  giving  to  the  scene  a  weird  enchantment. 


THE  OLD  MAN'S   FACE,   NEAR   ASHEVILLE. 


A  VIEW  OF  THE   FRENCH   BROAD  RIVER  ABOVE   ASHEVILLE. 


428 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


Overhead,  apparently  weaving  in  and  out  like  a  silver  thread, 
winds  the  glistening  track  over  which  the  tourist  must  pass  to  gain  the 
summit  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  So  great  and  difficult  is  the  ascent  that  at 
one  point  four  parallel  tracks  may  be  seen,  one  above  the  other,  while 
at  another  point,  as  the  train  passes  over  a  winding  trestle  sixty  feet 
high,  the  tourist  might  easily  drop  his  hat  on  the  track  below  over 
which  he  had  passed  a  few  minutes  before,  but  now  going  in  an  entirely 
opposite  direction,  having  gained  nothing  on  his  journey  save  about 
ninety  feet  in  elevation.  So  often  does  the  track  turn,  twist  and  double 
upon  itself  to  gain  the  summit,  that  at  one  place  of  observation  it 
may  be  seen  at  seventeen  distinct  points.  After  having  gained  a  dis 
tance  of  over  five  miles  of  the  ascent,  the  train  is  again  within  one-fourth 
of  a  mile  of  the  Knob,  now  lying  far  below,  but  still  the  center  of  this 
grand  system  of  iron  loops,  by  means  of  which  the  train  is  gradually 
rising  to  the  region  of  the  clouds.  From  this  point  to  the  summit,  in 
the  short  space  of  one  and  a  half  miles,  the  train  passes  through  six 
tunnels  and  across  numerous  gorges,  whose  sides  are  clothed  with  the 
primeval  forest  where  perhaps  the  foot  of  man  never  trod.  The  most 
noted  of  which  is  "Royal  Gorge,"  seen  from  the  car  window,  whose 
precipitous  sides  and  deep-yawning  chasm  form  a  scene  of  magnificent 
grandeur,  from  the  top  of  whose  butting  cliffs  the  mountains  of  South 
Carolina  are  visible,  two  hundred  miles  distant.  As  the  train  rushes 
forward,  suddenly  it  plunges  into  Swannanoa  Tunnel,  which  is  nearly 
two  thousand  feet  long,  and  upon  emerging  at  the  western  end,  along 
the  massive  walls,  we  reach  the  highest  point  in  that  L,and  of  the 
Sky,  where  the  waters  of  a  spring  divide,  a  part  flowing  into  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  and  an  equal  share  being  contributed  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

Having  crossed  the  Blue  Ridge  Mountains  and  passed  through 
Hickory-Nut  Gap  to  the  valley,  the  road  leads  into  one  of  the  grandest 
canons  of  the  Broad  River.  Here  for  a  distance  of  nine  miles  on  either 
side  of  the  river  giant  mountains  rise  to  a  dizzy  height,  forming  massive 
walls  of  blue  granite,  often  reaching  a  height  of  more  than  a  thousand 
feet,  while  not  a  sprig  of  vegetation  appears  on  their  surface. 

A  creek  large  enough  to  turn  a  mill  plunges  over  one  of  these 
embattlements  and  falls  in  a  single  stream  a  distance  of  over  thirteen 
hundred  feet,  known  as  Hickory-Nut  Falls,  said  to  be  the  third  highest 
falls  in  the  United  States.  Passing  on  down  this  great  gorge,  we  see 
Chimney  Rock  on  the  right,  a  circular  column  four  hundred  feet  high, 
while  on  the  opposite  side  is  Round  Top,  with  its  pyramidal  dome  rest 
ing  against  the  sky. 


C/ESAR'S  HEAD,  SPUR 


RANGE,  N.  C. 


a: 

— 


O 

Qi 

m 

I 
U 
z 

UJ 

Di 
U_ 


O 


O 
O 
Qi 


I 
O 


430 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


"High  mountains  bound  this  vale  on  north  and  south,  while  directly  in  front  of  us,  like  companion  sentinels  guarding  the  western 
gateway,  down  which  the  sun  was  to  march,  stands  Round  Top  and  Chimney  Rock  Mountains.  Behind  Chimney  Rock,  trending  toward 
the  west,  arise  in  close  succession  a  number  of  mountains  with  distinct,  broken  summits — a  long  palisade  fencing  the  gap  in  whose  depth 
rushes  the  Broad  River.  In  the  center  of  the  west  stands  Bear  Wallow  Mountain,  the  last  visible  knob  of  Hickory-Nut  Gap. 

"The  sun  was  sinking  behind  the  white  cumuli  that  capped  this  mountain.  Streamers  of  golden  light,  like  the  spokes  of  a  celestial 
chariot,  whose  hub  was  the  hidden  sun,  barred  the  western  sky.  The  clouds  shone  with  edges  of  beaten  gold.  Their  centers,  with  every 
minute,  changed  to  all  hues  imaginable.  The  fronts  of  the  Sentinel  Mountains  were  somber  in  the  shadows, while  the  gap  was  radiant  with 
the  light  pouring  through  it,  and  every  pine  on  the  top  of  the  palisade  stood  black  against  the  glowing  sky."  The  "Old  Man's  Face"  is 
another  wonderful  natural  curi 
osity  which  divides  interest  with 
the  finest  scenery  in  this  re 
markable  region,  and  is  on  the 
west  side  of  Bald  Mountain,  in 
prominent  view,  for  the  rocks 
are  barren  and  garish  from  the 
light  of  the  sun.  This  singular 
formation  is  a  faithful  represen 
tation  of  a  three-quarter  view  of 
an  old  man's  face,  with  fore 
head,  eyes,  nose,  mouth  and 
beard  in  such  perfect  proportion 
that  one  can  hardly  believe, 
without  close  examination,  the 
face  is  only  an  accidental  result 
of  the  elements,  in  their  unceas 
ing  work  of  denudation. 

Eighteen  miles  from  Ashe- 
ville,  in  the  Balsam  Range,  is 
Mount  Pisgah,  5,757  feet  high, 
from  the  apex  of  which  a  won 
derful  expanse  of  mountain 
scenery  is  spread  out  to  view; 
but  it  is  from  the  Blue  Ridge  ABOVE  THE  CLOUDS  ON  MITCHELL'S  PEAK,  NEAR  ASHEVILLE,  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

peaks  that  the  sublimest  visions  are  presented,  and  the  most  curious  forms  of  nature-sculpturing  occur.  Passing  southwest  from  Asheville, 
the  Asheville  and  Spartanburg  R_oad  runs  through  an  exceedingly  fertile  region,  and  thence  into  the  Canon  of  Little  River,  where  for  four 
miles  the  stream  is  a  succession  of  surging  rapids,  noisy  cascades,  and  picturesque  waterfalls,  until  it  approaches  the  base  of  tremendous 
cliffs.  These  are  spurs  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  one  of  which  is  famous  as  presenting  a  facial  profile  which  has  been  named  "  Caesar's  Head," 
but  it  takes  a  person  of  vivid  imagination  to  distinguish  the  human  features,  very  plain  though  the  guide  declares  them  to  be,  As  the 
altitude  is  nearly  6,000  feet,  and  2,000  feet  above  the  valley,  the  prospect  of  the  peak  of  this  Blue  Ridge  spur  is  incomparably  magnificent. 
From  this  dizzy  height  the  peaks  of  the  Blue  Ridge  may  be  observed  for  scores  of  miles  in  each  direction;  looking  northeast  you 


LITTLE  RIVER  RAPIDS,  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


432 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


may  see  the  famous  King's  Mountain,  seventy  miles  away, while  in  the  opposite  direction,  in  distinct  view,  is  Stone  Mountain,  near  Atlanta, 
Georgia,  over  one  hundred  miles  away.  Looking  to  the  north,  a  distance  of  a  little  more  than  one  hundred  miles,  is  the  Roan  Mountain, 
while  to  the  northeast  is  seen  the  black  dome  of  Mount  Mitchell,  full  sixty-five  miles  distant.  In  the  northwest,  about  thirty-five  miles 
away,  is  Pisgah,  resembling  a  great  Egyptian  pyramid  in  outline,  while  directly  to  the  west  are  the  Highlands  of  Macon  county, with  White- 
side  Mountain  glittering  like  an 
iceberg  in  the  sunlight.  From 
the  top  of  this  wonderful  preci 
pice  the  view  is  strangely  sug 
gestive  of  a  great  stretch  of 
ocean.  The  blue  waves  of  the 
sea  find  their  counterpart  in 
the  waves  of  these  blue  mount 
ains,  with  their  corrugations 
extending  far  out  until  the  out 
line  is  lost  in  the  hazy  distance. 
There  is  no  grander  sight  than 
a  view  from  this  point  at  sun 
rise,  when  the  world  below  is 
buried  from  sight  in  an  ocean 
of  impenetrable  fog,  and  the 
great  billows  of  fleecy  mist  roll 
ing  like  angry  waves,  while  the 
breaker-like  roar  of  cataracts  a 
thousand  feet  below,  makes  the 
deception  complete. 

The  loftiest  peak  of  the 
Appalachian  system  is  Mount 
Mitchell,  which  is  thirty  miles 
from  Asheville,  and  is  easiest 
reached  by  way  of  the  Swanan- 
noa  River.  The  ascent  is  by  a 
comparatively  easy  roadway, 
but  as  the  altitude  of  the  sum 
mit  is  6 , 7 1 7  feet,  it  is  not  gained 
without  great  exertion.  For 
merly  the  mountain  was  called 


THE  SUMMIT  OF  MOUNT  MITCHELL,  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


Black  Dome,  then  Clingman's  Mount,  but  was  afterwards  christened  Mitchell's  Peak,  in  honor  of  Professor  Elisha  Mitchell,  of  the  State 
University  of  North  Carolina,  who  was  first  to  measure  its  exact  altitude,  and  who  lost  his  life  by  falling  over  a  precipice  in  making  a  second 
ascent  to  verify  his  first  measurement.  The  body  was  found  ten  days  after  the  fatal  accident  and  conveyed  to  Asheville,  where  it  was 
buried.  One  year  subsequently  the  remains  were  disinterred  and  carried  to  the  summit  of  Mitchell  Mountain,  and  there  committed  to  the 


CATHEDRAL  AND  THRONE  IN  LURAY  CAVERN,  VIRGINIA. 

28 


434 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


grave,  over  which  a  beautiful  monument  now  stands,  the  tribute  of  a 
daughter's  loving  memory. 

The  ascent  of  the  mountain  lies  through  superb  forests  of 
deciduous  trees  and  along  the  banks  of  the  rushing  Swannanoa,  until 
after  a  climb  of  five  miles  the  second  base  of  the  mountain  is  reached — 
a  small  grassy  plateau,  where  a  residence  once  stood — now  know  as 
the  "Half-way  House."  From  this  point  the  world  below  unrolls 
before  the  gaze  like  an  azure  scroll,  while  above,  awful  in  its  nearness 
and  immensity,  towers  the  dark  mass  of  Black  Mountain,  clothed  with 
a  somber  forest,  into  the  depths  of  which  the  path  now  plunges,  and 
which  it  does  not  leave  again  until  the  final  summit  is  reached.  Wind 
ing  in  snake-like  turns  through  the  close-growing  firs,  the  trail  climbs 
the  steep  shoulders  of  the  great  mountain,  passing  over  what  is  now 
known  as  Clingman  Dome  (of  the  Blacks)  and  then  following  its 
ridges  for  about  three  miles,  until  the  bare  rocky  peak,  which  is  the 
highest  point  of  land  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  is  reached,  and  all 
hardships  of  ascent  are  forgotten  in  the  view  that  bursts  upon  the 
enraptured  vision. 

If  the  day  is  clear,  the  prospect  is  almost  boundless  in  extent  and 
of  infinite  beauty.  Range  behind  range  of  great  mountains  lie  below, 
like  a  Titanic  ocean  stilled  by  some  mighty  hand.  From  this  supreme 
elevation  it  is  possible  to  study  the  structural  character  of  the  region, 
and  to  count  all  the  great  chains  that  cross  the  country,  while  no  words 
can  express  the  varying  and  exquisite  color  that,  like  a  glamour  of  heav 
enly  enchantment,  lies  over  the  wide  expanse.  The  whole  earth,  "and 
the  beauty  thereof,"  seems  to  be  spread  out  at  one's  feet,  and  the  airs 
that  come  to  this  high  mountain  crest  are  full  of  freshness  and  balm. 

A  Southern  poet,  who  climbed  the  mountain  in  the  spring  of 
1891,  thus  describes  the  inspiring  sight  which  greeted  him  when  the 
day  was  dying:  "To  witness  a  sunset  from  this  peak  is  something 
long  to  be  remembered.  Never  shall  I  forget  that  evening  in  June, 
when  in  company  with  my  guide,  we  stood  by  the  grave  on  the  sum 
mit  of  Mount  Mitchell,  and  looked  down  on  that  scene  of  resplendent 
glory  that  lay  before  us;  far  in  the  west  the  sun  was  slowly  sinking 
in  a  bed  of  crimson  and  gold,  the  horizon  was  lighted  with  a  flushing 
radiance  which  was  infinitely  sublime,  while  the  whole  landscape  was 
aglow  with  splendor,  every  tint  and  hue  imaginable  seemed  to  inter 
mingle  in  that  sea  of  color,  and  every  jutting  crag,  and  dome,  and 
pinnacle  of  sullen  rock  flamed  as  though  a  thousand  rainbows  had 
fallen  out  of  the  sky  and  hung  themselves  there  like  glorious  banners ; 


BRIDAL   VEIL  FALLS,   DINGMAN'S  FERRY,   PENNSYLVANIA. 


TITANIA'S  VEIL,  LURAY  CAVERNS,   VIRGINIA. 


436 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


we  stand  enthralled  at  the  scene  before  us,  no  sound  is  heard,  no  note  of  bird  breaks  the  awful  stillness.  We  are  in  the  region  of  that 
eternal  silence  which  wraps  the  summit  of  the  'everlasting  hills.'  A  hush  of  dreamy  repose  broods  over  this  lofty  peak,  which  still  retains 
the  last  rays  of  the  setting  sun,  while  over  the  world  below  twilight  has  fallen. 

*  How  fair  this  lone  and  lovely  scene, 

And  yonder  dropping  fiery  ball, 
And  eve's  sweet  spirit,  which  steals 

unseen 
With  darkness  over  all! '  " 

But  it  is  not  only  from  its 
unsurpassed  view  that  this  great 
mountain  is  interesting.  Its 
vast  sides  are  clothed  with  a 
forest  of  bewildering  beauty, 
crystal  streams  gush  from  its 
heights,  and  there  is,  altogether, 
a  fascination  about  this  wild, 
unpeopled  region  that  goes  farto 
account  for  the  passion  which 
caused  Professor  Mitchell  to  lose 
his  life  in  wandering  through 
its  wilderness. 

Having  accomplished  a  cir 
cuit  of  the  wonderlands  of 
Western  North  Carolina,  our 
artist  departed  from  Asheville 
by  way  of  the  Richmond  and 
Danville  Railroad,  and  thence 
by  its  northern  connections  to 
Roanoke,  Virginia,  at  which 
point  train  was  taken  on  the  COLOSSEUM  FALLS,  NEAR  DINGMAN'S  FERRY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 

Shenandoah  Valley  Route  for  Luray,  a  town  of  1,500  people,  but  famous  by  reason  of  its  proximity  to  the  marvelous  caverns  of  that  name, 
the  beauty  of  which  is  incomparable,  and  in  wonder  they  rival  the  great  Mammoth  Cave.  This  marvelous  subterranean  labyrinth  is  one 
mile  distant  from  the  town,  and  is  entered  by  an  easy  passage-way  that  has  a  gradual  descent  by  stone  steps.  The  cave  was  an  accidental 
discovery  by  Mr.  Andrew  J.  Campbell,  in  1878,  who,  while  examining  the  locality  known  as  Cave  Hill,  was  led,  by  the  hollow  sound 
produced  by  stamping  the  earth,  to  seek  for  the  cavity  which  he  knew  must  exist  at  that  point.  With  spade  and  mattock  he  sank  a  hole 
four  feet  deep  and  was  rewarded  by  finding  the  great  cavern  which  ought  rightfully  to  bear  his  name. 

To  Rev.  Horace  C.  Hovey,  of  New  Haven,  we  are  indebted  for  the  best,  as  it  is  the  most  interesting,  description  that  has  ever  been 
written  of  this  underground  wonderland,  prepared  as  it  was  after  a  careful  examination  of  the  geology  of  the  cave  as  well  as  of  its  splendors: 

"At  some  period,  long  subsequent  to  its  original  excavation,  and  after  many  large  stalactites  had  grown,  the  cavern  was  completely 
filled  with  glacial  mud,  whereby  the  drip-stone  was  eroded  into  singularly  grotesque  shapes.  After  the  mud  had  been  mostly  removed  by 


THE   BALL-ROOM,   LURAY  CAVERNS. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

flowing  water,  these  eroded  forms  remained  amid  the  new  growths.  To  this  contrast  may  be  ascribed  some  of  the  most  striking  scenes 
of  the  cave.  The  many,  and  extraordinary  monuments  of  aqueous  energy  include  massive  columns  wrenched  from  their  place  in  the  ceil 
ing  and  prostrate  on  the  floor;  the  hollow  column  forty  feet  high  and  thirty  feet  in  diameter,  standing  erect,  but  pierced  by  a  tubular 
passage  from  top  to  bottom;  the  leaning  column,  nearly  as  large,  undermined  and  tilting  like  the  Campanilaof  Pisa;  the  organ,  a  cluster  of 
stalactites,  dropped  point  downward,  and  standing  thus  in  the  room  known  as  the  Cathedral;  besides  a  vast  bed  of  disintegrated  carbonates 
left  by  the  whirling  flood  in  its  retreat  through  the  great  space  called  the  Elfin  Ramble. 

"The  stalactite  display  exceeds  that  of  any  other  cavern  known,  and  there  is  hardly  a  square  yard  on  the  walls  or  ceiling  that  is  not 
thus  ornamented.  The  old 
material  is  yellow,  brown  or  red, 
and  its  wavy  surface  often  shows 
layers  like  the  gnarled  grain  of 
costly  woods.  The  new  stalac 
tites  growing  from  the  old,  and 
made  of  hard  carbonates  that 
had  already  once  been  used,  are 
usually  white  as  snow,  though 
often  pink,  blue  or  amber- 
colored.  The  size  attained  by 
single  specimens  is  surprising. 
The  Empress  Column  is  a  stalag 
mite  thirty-five  feet  high,  rose- 
colored  and  elaborately  draped. 
The  Double  Column  is  made  of 
two  fluted  pillars  side  by  side, 
the  one  twenty-five,  the  other 
sixty  feet  high,  a  mass  of  snowy 
alabaster.  Several  stalactites 
in  the  Giant's  Hall  exceed  fifty 
feet  in  length.  The  small 
pendants  are  innumerable;  in 
the  canopy  above  the  Imperial 
Spring  it  is  estimated  that  forty 
thousand  are  visible  at  once. 

"The  Cascades  are  wonder-  FACTORY  FALLS,  D.NGMAN'S  FERRY,  PENNSYLVANIA. 

ful  formations,  like  foaming  cataracts  caught  n  mid-air,  and  transformed  in  to  milk-white  or  amber  alabaster,  while  the  Chalcedony  Cascade 
displays  a  variety  of  colors.  Brand's  Cascade,  which  is  the  finest  of  all,  being  forty  feet  high,  and  almost  as  wide,  is  unsullied  and  wax- 
like  white,  each  ripple  and  braided  rill  appearing  to  have  been  polished. 

"  The  Swords  of  the  Titans  are  monstrous  blades,  eight  in  number, 'fifty  feet  long,  three  to  eight  feet  wide,  and  one  to  two  feet 
thick,  but  are  hollow  and  drawn  down  to  an  extremely  fine  edge,  filling  the  cavern  with  tones  like  tolling  bells,  when  struck  by  the 
hand.  Their  origin,  and  also  that  of  certain  so-called  scarfs  and  blankets  exhibited,  is  from  carbonates  deposited  by  water  trickling  down 


THE  SARACEN'S  TENT,  LURAY  CAVERNS.  VIRGINIA. 


440 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


a  sloping  and  corrugated  surface.  Sixteen  of  these  alabaster  scarfs  hang  side  by  side  in  Hovey's  Balcony,  three  white  and  fine  as  crape 
shawls,  thirteen  striated  like  agate,  with  every  shade  of  brown,  and  all  perfectly  transparent.  Down  the  edge  of  each  a  tiny  rill  glistens 
like  silver,  and  this  is  the  ever-plying  shuttle  that  weaves  this  fairy  fabric. 

"Streams  and  true  springs  are  absent,  but  there  are  hundreds  of  basins,  varying  from  one  to  fifty  feet  in  diameter,  and  from  six 
inches  to  fifteen  feet  in  depth.  The  water  in  them  is  exquisitely  pure,  except  as  it  is  impregnated  by  the  carbonate  of  lime,  which  often 
forms  concretions  called,  according  to  their  size,  pearls,  eggs,  and  snow-balls.  A  large  one  is  known  as  the  Cannon-Ball.  When  fractured, 
these  spherical  growths  are  found  to  be  radiated  in  structure.  Calcite  crystals,  drusy,  feathery,  or  fern-like,  line  the  sides  and  bottoms  of  every 
water-filled  cavity,  and,  indeed, 
constitute  the  substance  of  which 
they  are  formed.  Variations 
of  level  at  different  periods  are 
marked  by  rings,  ridges,  and 
ruffled  margins.  These  are 
especially  strongly  marked 
about  Broaddus  Lake,  and  the 
curved  ramparts  of  the  Castles 
on  the  Rhine.  Here,  also,  are 
polished  stalagmites,  a  rich  buff 
slashed  with  white,  and  others, 
like  huge  mushrooms,  with  a 
velvety  coat  of  red,  purple,  or 
olive-tinted  crystals.  In  some 
of  the  smaller  basins  it  some 
times  happens  that  when  the 
excess  of  carbonic  acid  escapes 
rapidly  there  is  formed,  besides 
the  crystal  beds  below,  a  film 
above,  shot  like  a  sheet  of  ice 
across  the  surface.  One  pool 
twelve  feet  wide  is  thus  covered 
so  as  to  show  but  a  third  of  its 
surface.  The  quantity  of  water 

varies  greatly  at  different  sea- 

CADEDENEAN  FALLS,   DINGMAN'S  FERRY, 
sons;    hence   some    stalactites 

have  their  tips  under  water  long  enough  to  allow  tassels  of  crystal  to  grow  on  them,  which  in  a  drier  season  are  again  coated  over  with 
stalactitic  matter,  by  which  singular  distortions  are  occasioned.  Contiguous  stalactites  are  often  enwrapped  thus  till  they  assume  an  almost 
globular  form,  through  which,  by  making  a  section,  the  primary  tubes  appear.  Twig-like  projections,  lateral  outgrowths,  to  which  the 
term  helictite  has  been  applied,  are  met  with  in  certain  portions  of  the  cave,  and  are  interesting  by  reason  of  their  strange  and  uncouth 
contortions.  Their  presence  is  partly  due  to  the  existence  of  a  diminutive  fungus  peculiar  to  the  locality,  and  designated  from  its  habitat, 
Mucor  Stalactitis.  The  Toy  Shop  is  an  amusing  collection  of  these  freaks  of  nature. 


FARM  SCENE   IN   THE   VALLEY  OF  THE  SHENANDOAH,  VIRGINIA. 


442  AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

"The  dimensions  of  the  various  chambers  included  in  Luray  Caverns  cannot  be  given,  on  account  of  the  great  irregularity  of  their 
outlines.  Nor  can  their  size  be  estimated  from  a  diagram,  because  there  are  several  tiers  of  galleries,  and  the  vertical  depth,  from  the 
highest  to  the  lowest,  is  two  hundred  and  sixty  feet.  The  tract  of  one  hundred  acres,  owned  by  the  Luray  Cave  Company,  covers  all  possi 
ble  modes  of  entrance,  and  the  explored  area  is  much  less  than  that.  The  waters  of  this  cavern  appear  to  be  entirely  destitute  of  life;  and 
the  existing  fauna  is  quite  meager,  comprising  a  few  bats,  rats,  mice,  spiders,  flies  and  small  centipedes.  When  the  cave  was  first  entered 
the  floor  was  covered  with  thousands  of  tracks  of  bears,  wolves  and  raccoons,  most  of  them  probably  made  long  ago,  as  impressions  in  the 
tenacious  clay  that  composes  most  of  the  cavern-floor  would  remain  for  centuries.  The  traces  of  human  occupation,  as  yet  discovered,  are 
pieces  of  charcoal,  flints,  moccasin  tracks,  and  a  single  skeleton  imbedded  in  a  stalagmite  in  one  of  the  chasms,  estimated  to  have  lain  where 
found  for  not  more  than  five  hundred  years,  judging  from  the  present  rate  of  stalagmitic  growth." 

Accurate  and  beautiful  as  is  Mr.  Hovey's  description  of  Luray  Caverns,  yet  words,  however  ingeniously  used,  fail  xitterly  to  convey 
a  true  idea  of  the  incomparable  splendors  of  this  under-world  palace  which  gleams  with  unspeakable  glories,  such  as  God  alone  can  create. 
Aladdin,  in  the  Arabic  tale  which  so  delighted  our  youthful  fancy,  was  permitted  to  enter  a  cave  which  exhibited  such  decorations  that  its 
very  beauty  both  dazzled  and  affrighted;  and  to  his  amazement  was  added  the  greater  wonder,  that  the  cavern  thus  wrought  of  precious 
stones  was  the  work  of  a  geni,  who  was  slave  to  a  lamp  and  ring.  But  the  fervid  imagination  of  youth,  or  the  dreamer  under 
influence  of  the  delirium-inducing  hasheesh  intoxicant  in  India's  climes,  never  riveted  gaze  upon  vision  more  wondrously  beautiful  than 
Luray's  intervals  of  divine  architecture;  nor  was  Aladdin's  Cave  half  so  charming.  The  Throne-Room,  canopied  with  curtains  woven  of 
pearls  and  diamonds;  "  The  Saracen's  Tent,  "  in  which  more  than  oriental  splendors  of  richest  damasks  and  golden  samite  sweep  round 
the  crystal  couch  in  festoons  of  magic  beauty;  Titania's  Veil  of  petrified  spider's  webs  and  crystallized  harmonies,  behind  which  the  queen 
of  fairies  hides  from  ^olus;  and  the  Ball-Room,  with  best  adornments,  as  if  to  celebrate  a  marriage  between  the  gods;  all  these  and 
many  more,  in  fast  succession  of  admiring  surprise,  compose  the  Caverns  of  Luray,  of  which  it  has  been  said:  "Mortal  hath  not  made  the 
like,  nor  human  fancy  conceived  a  thing  more  magnificent."  Let  the  illustrations  herewith  convey  an  idea  of  the  beauty  which 
language  cannot  express. 

The  uniform  temperature  of  the  cave  is  54°  Fahrenheit,  which  is  the  same  as  Mammoth  Cave,  and  as  the  chamber-floors  are  dry, 
visitors  are  not  fatigued  or  discomforted  by  long  walks  through  the  labyrinthine  passages,  where  every  step  taken  brings  fresh  marvels  into 
view.  To  the  curiously  inclined  the  inquiry,  not  often  asked,  will  appear  very  interesting:  How  did  the  animals  whose  foot-prints  were 
noticed  in  the  tenacious  clay,  by  those  who  made  the  discovery,  get  into  the  cave?  The  opening  by  which  the  chambers  are  reached  is  an 
artificial  one,  made  at  the  point  where  Mr.  Campbell  detected  the  hollow  by  stamping  on  the  ground,  as  explained.  No  other  ingress  is  yet 
known,  though  the  cave  has  not  been  thoroughly  explored;  so  it  is  possible,  or  probable  even,  that  other  means  of  entrance  have  long 
continued  open,  but  the  possibility  also  remains  that  its  entering  passage-ways  may  have  been  sealed  up  by  an  invasion  of  glacial  drift, 
since  the  flood;  marks  of  that  tremendous  cataclysm  are  plainly  to  be  seen  in  the  cave,  and  not  all  of  the  diluvium  deposit  has  been  yet 
removed  or  ground  under  foot  by  the  10,000  persons  who  visit  the  caverns  annually. 

A  trip  up  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  though  made  in  a  luxurious  coach  on  a  swift-moving  train,  is  attended  by  innumerable  reminders 
of  the  great  civil  war,  for  the  journey  is  over  a  succession  of  hotly-contested  battle-fields;  but  the  beautiful  scenery,  rich  lands,  and  lovely 
farm  scenes  that  now  compose  the  landscape,  cannot  efface  the  recollection  which  monuments  and  cemeteries  constantly  revive.  General 
Boynton  has  drawn  a  tnithful  picture  of  this  war- famous  section,  in  this  wise: 

"Every  foot  south  of  the  Potomac  was  fighting-ground;  every  town  was,  at  some  time,  the  headquarters  of  well-known  forces; 
nearly  every  farm  house  was  a  hospital,  and  some  of  the  dead  and  wounded  of  the  many  contests  had  fallen  on  every  acre.  On  the  Union 
side  Fremont  and  Sigel,  Milroy  and  Shields,  Hunter  and  Banks,  Kelley  and  Crook,  Wilson  and  Sheridan,  and  others  of  note  had  there  met 
Jackson,  Ewell,  Early,  Stewart,  Ashby,  and  the  advance  of  Lee  in  force.  There  were  innumerable  small  affairs,  and  many  extended  and 
fierce  engagements.  Columns  in  advance  and  in  retreat  ebbed  and  flowed  there  through  every  year  of  the  war;  while  every  gap  opening 


HARPER'S  FERRY,   VIRGINIA,  FROM  BOLIVAR  HEIGHTS. 


444  -  AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

eastward  poured  its  footmen  and  its  horsemen  upon  trie  flanks,  first  of  the  one  army,  and  then  of  the  other.  From  the  opening  of  the  contest 
till  is  close  it  was  the  vortex  of  strategy.  The  war  found  it  an  ideal  pastoral  country,  of  rich  and  beautiful  farms,  of  wealthy  and  aristo 
cratic  families,  where  life  in  its  ease  and  sunshine  rivaled  that  in  older  lands.  It  was  the  granary  and  store-house  of  the  Confederacy. 
The  war  left  it  a  bare,  blackened,  and  blasted  region,  its  homes  destroyed,  its  farms  desolated,  and  its  able-bodied  population  decimated  in 
the  field.  But  it  has  fully  recovered  again.  Grass  and  grain  have  woven  nature's  beautiful  covering  over  all  scars  of  battle,  and  the 
countless  miles  of  parapets  are  green  each  year  with  verdure,  and  the  fields  and  orchards  are  laden  with  flowers  again." 

The  southwestern  branch  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  skirts  the  Cumberland  Range,  following  the  valley  of  the  Shenandoah,  until  it 
joins  the  main  line  at  Harper's  Ferry,  where  the  Shenandoah  and  Potomac  likewise  form  a  junction,  each  stream  cleaving  a  way  through 
the  mountains  and  watering  a  region  of  extraordinary  scenic  beauty.  Sheridan,  when  operating  in  these  valleys,  declared  that  the  country 
was  so  barren  that  a  crow  would  have  to  carry  its  rations  when  flying  over  it;  but  the  country  has  blossomed  into  fertility  since  that  time, 
and  now  presents  glorious  visions  of  great  productiveness,  as  well  as  bluffs  and  mountains  of  rugged  picturesqueness. 

Harper's  Ferry  was  well  known  before  the  war  as  being  the  location  of  one  of  the  important  Government  armories  and  arsenals, 
which  were  destroyed  soon  after  the  beginning  of  hostilities,  and  have  not  since  been  rebuilt.  Its  chief  fame,  however,  is  derived  from  the 
fact  that  the  town  was  the  seat  of  the  John  Brown  insurrection  (in  October,  1859);  and  at  Charleston,  seven  miles  distant,  on  the  road  to 
Winchester,  is  the  place  where  he  was  tried  and  executed.  Harper's  Ferry  was  thus  not  only  the  scene  of  the  opening  events  of  the  war, 
but  it  remained  the  center  of  action  for  a  long  time,  being  alternately  occupied  by  the  Union  and  Confederate  forces,  who  contended  with 
varying  fortunes,  but  always  with  immense  loss  of  life,  in  efforts  to  retain  it  as  a  base  for  their  supplies.  It  is  the  magnificent  scenery 
surrounding  the  place  that  now  attracts  the  tourist's  interest,  for  a  more  beautiful  section  of  mountain  country  is  nowhere  to  be  seen  in  the 
East.  Particularly  fine  views  are  afforded  from  Maryland  Heights,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Potomac,  and  from  Bolivar  Heights,  which  are 
above  the  town,  the  latter  being  a  more  extensive  perspective,  commanding  as  it  does  a  long  stretch  of  river  and  the  huge  mountain  ram 
parts  on  the  south.  From  this  point  of  observation,  too,  the  Shenandoah  River  is  presented  to  the  view,  sprinkled  with  white-crested 
waves  dashing  over  smooth-worn  bowlders,  that  have  long  lain  in  its  course,  and  its  frowning  shores  that  rise  up  into  towering  mountains 
and  form  a  chain  of  peaks  that  girdle  the  horizon.  From  Maryland  Heights  the  observer  is  able  to  look  into  seven  counties,  and  across 
stretches  of  three  States,  the  view  being  at  last  arrested  by  a  soft  haze  that  crowns  the  soaring  summits  of  the  Blue  Ridge  Range.  The 
route  from  Harper's  Ferry  was  north  by  way  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  and  the  Cumberland  Valley  Railroads  to  Harrisburg,  and  thence 
some  of  the  fine  scenery  of  Pennsylvania  was  visited,  particularly  that  which  lies  along  the  line  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad.  In  going 
East,  the  first  view  of  great  interest  which  greets  the  eyes  of  observant  travelers  along  this  road,  after  leaving  Pittsburgh,  is  Johnstown,  a 
great  manufacturing  place,  at  the  confluence  of  Conemaugh  River  and  Stony  Creek,  but  whose  largest  fame  dates  from  June  1,  1889, 
when  the  town  was  swept  by  one  of  the  most  appalling  cataclysms  that  has  found  a  record  in  history.  On  that  ever-memorable  date  the 
immense  reservoir  away  up  in  the  Alleghenies  that  held  the  waters  of  South  Fork,  burst  without  warning  and  rushed  down,  a  very  devastat 
ing  monster,  into  the  smiling  valley,  which  it  overwhelmed  with  a  flood  forty  feet  deep.  The  result  is  too  awful  to  dwell  upon;  two 
thousand  people  were  whirled  to  their  death,  and  the  city  was  carried  from  its  foundations,  with  a  loss  of  $10,000,000.  But  Johnstown 
has  recovered  from  the  terrible  blow  which  it  received  on  that  opening  day  of  summer,  and  the  blazing  forge  of  the  rolling-mills  has 
again  brought  prosperity  to  the  place. 

Beyond  Johnstown  a  magnificent  panorama  of  the  Alleghenies  breaks  into  view  with  their  myriad  phases  of  beauty  and  grandeur. 
As  we  follow  down  the  Conemaugh,  along  the  breast  of  the  mountains  are  the  remains  of  inclined  planes  of  the  Portage  Railroad,  by  which 
loaded  canal-boats  were  transported  over  the  mountains  at  points  where  the  canal  was  not  yet  constructed.  This  was  before  the  days  of 
steam  railroads,  when  canals  were  the  most  expeditious  mode  of  freight  transportation.  Beyond  Cressons  the  road  begins  the  ascent  of  the 
Alleghenies,  and  in  doing  so  makes  many  turns,  and  from  the  right  hand  of  the  road  a  gorgeous  spectacle  is  presented  looking  down  into 
the  valleys,  where  the  houses  are  dwarfed  by  distance  until  they  look  like  mole-hills,  and  men  are  not  distinguishable.  There  are  horse- 


THE   HORSESHOE  CURVE  AT  KITTANING,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


446  AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

shoe  curves  as  sharp  and  graceful  as  any  on  the  roads  that  climb  over  western  mountains,  while  the  scene  is  often  more  picturesque  because 
of  the  high  state  of  cultivation  of  the  mountain  slopes.  A  tunnel  three-quarters  of  a  mile  in  length  pierces  the  brow  of  one  of  the  highest 
peaks,  after  which  the  road  descends  rapidly  to  Cressons,  a  place  noted  for  its  seven  mineral  springs.  Altoona  is  next  passed,  and  a  few 
minutes  later  the  train  rushes  around  the  beautiful  horseshoe  curve  at  Kittaning,  affording  a  charming  prospect  of  lofty  mountains, 
surrounding  a  lake  of  exquisite  beauty,  made  by  damming  a  pretty  stream  that  comes  gamboling  down  from  cool  retreats  in  the  high  altitudes. 

Out  of  the  Tuckahoe  Valley  and  on  to  Tyone,  where  the  L,ittle  Juniata  is  reached,  along  whose  sweet-smelling  banks  the  road 
hastens  by  Broad  Top  Mountain,  Sliding  Hill,  through  the  gap  of  Jack's  Mountain,  and  thence  into  the  Long  Narrows,  which  is  traversed 
by  highway,  river  and  canal,  running  in  competition  with  the  railroad.  For  several  miles  the  scenery  is  wondrously  beautiful,  with 
kaleidoscopic  glimpses  of  swift-passing  mountain,  foaming  water-ways,  laughing  cascades,  and  bounty-bestowing  valleys  bedewed  with  the 
delicious  waters  of  the  blue  Juniata.  Thence  on  to  Harrisburg  the  road  speeds,  with  many  a  twist  through  smiling  vales  that  swathe  the 
mountain's  feet  with  ribbons  of  verdure;  across  the  Susquehanna,  where  the  river  is  more  than  a  mile  wide  and  freckled  with  impeding 
stones.  Lancaster  is  soon  reached,  and  thence  eastward  the  scenery  grows  in  grandeur  until  Chester  Valley  is  passed  and  Paoli  comes  into 
view.  This  place  is  famous  in  history  from  the  fact  that  here  took  place  a  massacre  which  will  be  remembered  for  ages  as  a  reproach  to 
the  British.  On  September  20,  1777,  the  American  forces  under  General  Anthony  Wayne  were  surprised  by  a  large  army  of  British 
regulars,  commanded  by  General  Gray.  Notwithstanding  the  superior  numbers  of  the  enemy  and  his  unpreparedness,  General  Wayne 
offered  a  stubborn  resistance,  and  not  until  nearly  one-half  his  men  had  fallen  in  the  desperate  conflict  did  he  capitulate,  upon  terms  of 
honorable  surrender.  Instead  of  observing  the  rules  which  obtain  among  civilized  nations,  after  the  Americans  had  laid  down  their  arms 
the  British  mercilessly  slaughtered  many  of  their  helpless  prisoners.  A  monument,  erected  in  1817,  marks  the  site  of  this  shameful 
tragedy.  Eastward  from  Paoli  the  road  traverses  one  of  the  fairest  sections  in  the  world,  resembling  the  richest  agricultural  regions  of 
England,  where  the  soil  is  in  the  highest  possible  state  of  cultivation  and  the  farm  houses  are  models  of  architectural  elegance,  with  a 
gradual  increase  in  the  beauties  of  the  prosperous  landscape  until  the  train  pursues  its  way  through  Fairmount .  Park  and  into  the  great 
metropolis  of  Philadelphia. 

Northward  from  Philadelphia  our  artist  traveled,  through  Bethlehem  to  the  Delaware  Water  Gap,  where  the  Delaware  River  forges 
its  way  through  the  Blue  Mountains,  the  point  of  passage  being  narrowed  by  walls  from  1,200  to  1,600  feet  high,  which  seem  to  clasp  the 
sturdy  stream  in  colossal  arms,  of  half  affection  and  half  restraint.  This  tremendous  gorge  formerly  bore  the  Indian  name  of  Minnisink, 
signifying  "  Whence  the  waters  are  gone,  "  which  is  thus  explained  by  a  local  geologist:  "  Here  a  vast  lake  once  probably  extended;  and 
whether  the  great  body  of  water  wore  its  way  through  the  mountain  by  a  fall  like  Niagara,  or  burst  through  a  gorge,  it  is  certain  that  the 
Minnisink  country  bears  the  mark  of  aqueous  action  in  its  diluvial  soil,  and  in  its  rounded  hills,  built  of  pebbles  and  bowlders."  The  gap 
proper  is  about  two  miles  long,  when  the  mountains  recede  on  both  sides,  as  if  at  one  time  some  terrific  disturbance  had  thrown  up  a  giant 
ridge  in  the  path  of  the  river.  It  is  apparent  also  that  centuries  ago  the  passage,  though  hardly  more  than  one  hundred  yards  wide  now, 
was  very  much  narrower,  and  the  name  given  to  it  by  the  Indians  was  no  doubt  suggested  by  this  cleft  through  which  the  pent-up  waters 
must  have  dashed  with  terrific  force  and  roar. 

The  two  mountains  between  which  the  river  passes  are  named  in  honor  of  two  famous  Indian  chiefs,  that  on  the  New  Jersey  side 
being  called  Tammany,  and  the  one  on  the  Pennsylvania  shore  being  known  as  Minsi.  Chief  Tammany  was  of  the  Delaware  tribe,  whose 
bravery  and  magnanimity  was  such  that  he  was  canonized  as  the  patron  saint  of  America,  but  his  name  is  best  perpetuated  by  New  York 
City's  political  organization.  The  two  mountains,  adjacent,  and  which  were  no  doubt  one  before  the  wearing  waters  cut  a  way  through  it, 
exhibit  marked  differences,  which,  to  a  casual  observer,  would  seem  to  controvert  this  theory.  Mount  Minsi  is  a  graceful  peak  crowned 
with  dense  forest  growths,  while  Tammany  is  a  gigantic  rock  that  rises  in  broken  ledges,  almost  terraces,  from  the  river,  on  one  of  which, 
two  hundred  feet  above  the  river,  a  hotel  has  been  built  to  accommodate  summer  tourists.  And  the  scenery  is  grand  enough  to  lure  lovers 
of  the  picturesque  in  nature.  Just  below  the  hotel  falls  a  silvery  cascade  whose  waters  are  derived  from  Hunter's  Spring,  that  bursts  out  of 


LITTLE  NECK  OF  THE  SUSQUEHANNA  RIVER,  PENNSYLVANIA. 


448  AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

the  mountain  side,  and  perambulates  through  many  sequestered  nooks,  moss-covered  and  beflowered,  before  it  drops  into  a  pool  called 
Diana's  Bath,  thence  over  Caldeno  Falls,  and  slides  into  the  river.  Above  the  source  of  the  waterfall  is  a  lofty  ledge  known  as  Lover's 
Leap,  and  to  the  left  another  promontory  called  Prospect  Rock,  while  near-by  is  a  clear  lake  on  the  very  apex  of  the  mountain,  which 
visitors  are  told  is  of  an  unfathomable  depth. 

But  though  Tammany  is  the  more  ruggedly  picturesque,  Minsi  offers  the  more  entrancing  prospect,  expanding  on  the  east  until  the 
whole  of  New  Jersey  seems  to  be  spread  out  to  view.  A  mile  below  the  Gap  the  scenery  becomes  curiously  pretty,  for  the  river  has  worn 
the  banks  into  grottoes  and  fantastic  forms.  Here  are  such  objects  of  interest  as  Indian  Ladder  Bluff,  Cold-Air  Cave,  Point  of  Rocks, 
Burner's  Spring,  etc.,  while  a  few  miles  above  the  Gap  there  are  bits  of  nature  positively  charming.  Bushkill  Creek  pours  its  contribution 
into  the  Delaware  five  miles  from  the  Gap  and  a  few  hundred  yards  from  its  outlet  the  stream  tumbles  over  a  precipice  twenty  feet  high  in 
a  sheet  of  water  that  looks  like  a  curtain  of  lace.  On  an  affluent  of  the  Bushkill  are  two  other  cataracts  of  even  greater  beauty,  known  as 
Buttermilk  and  Marshall,  both  of  which  may  be  reached  in  a  half-hour's  walk  from  the  river,  and  are  within  seven  miles  of  the  hotel  on 
Tammany's  ledge.  •  A  feature  of  the  Water  Gap,  which  vies  in  interest  with  the  natural  scenery,  is  the  railroad-bed  around  the  base  of 
Tammany,  where  it  exacts  a  space  from  both  the  river  and  the  mountain,  in  order  to  secure  sufficient  width  for  passage.  At  this  point  the 
gap  is  narrowest  and  the  cliffs  most  stupendous,  right  where  the  jaws  of  the  gorge  are  set  in  firmest  resolution  to  prevent  a  full  flow  of  the 
river,  and  where  a  rushing  current  betrays  irritation  at  the  impediment  by  a  ceaseless  roar. 

Twenty-five  miles  above  the  Water  Gap  is  another  section  of  wild  and  weirdly  grand  scenery, where  Dingman's  Creek  carols  through 
the  copses  and  takes  a  header  into  the  Delaware,  like  a  swimmer  at  the  bath.  Dingman's  Ferry  is  a  small  hamlet  containing  a  score  of 
houses,  but  what  it  lacks  in  population  is  made  up  in  public  interest  by  its  picturesque  surroundings.  The  region  is  intersected  by  numerous 
streams,  which  are  noted  for  their  impetuous  courses  and  numerous  falls.  Of  these  Colosseum  Falls  are  the  largest,  and  by  many  are 
regarded  as  the  most  beautiful;  but  Bridal  Veil  Falls  are  more  exquisitely  fascinating  to  the  artist.  The  stream  is  not  large,  but  the 
precipice  is  high,  and  so  gracefully  terraced  that  the  water  makes  a  succession  of  leaps,  and  each  time  is  spread  by  the  ledges  until  at  its 
last  fall  it  is  as  airy  as  a  bride's  veil.  Its  sedgy  banks  and  bosky  shelves  add  to  the  general  effect  in  a  way  that  compels  the  thought  of 
fairy  bowers  and  naiads'  retreats.  Factory  Falls  are  the  largest  cataracts  of  this  sylvan  region,  pouring  a  considerable  volume  of  water  over 
serrated  brinks,  and  twisting  around  in  shapely  ways  that  add  ineffable  grace  to  the  boiling,  laughing  and  playful  waters.  Cadedenean 
Falls  are  almost  as  graceful,  but  are  spread  over  a  greater  surface,  and  fall  into  the  creek  in  the  form  of  an  outspread  fan.  The  "  Brakes 
and  Braes  of  Bonny  Doon  "  were  not  more  charming  to  the  eyes  of  the  poet  than  the  soul-delighting  coverts  and  falls  about  Dingman's. 
In  the  spring-time  these  streams  are  swollen  to  immense  proportions,  and  it  is  then  that  the  falls  display  their  greatest  grandeiir,  filling  the 
woods  with  their  torrential  orisons;  but  in  summer  they  exhibit  the  most  marvelous  graces,  for  it  is  then  the  waters  are  crystalline  in  their 
purity,  and  the  dewy  mosses  along  their  brinks  look  like  garlands  of  diamonds,  which  the  branches  of  bordering  thickets  stoop  down  to  kiss. 

From  Dingman's  Ferry  our  photographer  passed  on  to  Milford,  and  thence  by  the  Erie  Road  to  New  York  City,  where  a  junction 
was  made  with  the  two  other  photographers  for  a  trip  to  the  sunny  lands  of  the  South. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THROUGH  LANGUOROUS  LANDS  OF  THE  SUNNY  SOUTH. 


'EW  YORK  CITY  possesses  many  attractions  for  the  cosmopolitan,  but  not  for  the  artist,  who  prefers  nature's  solitudes  to  the  artificial 
glamor  and  noisy  hum  of  a  large  city;  hence  our  stay  in  that  city  was  only  for  such  time  as  it  required  to  make  preparations  for 
extending  our  pictorial  journey  through  summer  lands  of  the  southeast.  Instead  of  carrying  our  original  plans  into  immediate 
execution,  however,  it  was  decided  to  visit  the  battle-field  of  Gettysburg,  which  our  artist  coming  up  through  Virginia  and 
Pennsylvania  did  not  find  it  convenient  to  include  in  his  journey.  The  town  of  Gettysburg  has  a  population  of  some  3,500  souls, 
and  is  the  capital  of  Adams  county,  Pennsylvania,  the  center  of  a  blooming  and  bounteously-producing  agricultural  district.  Our 
route  to  reach  the  place  was  by  way  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  to  Hanover,  and  thence  by  the  Western  Maryland  Railroad,  a  distance  of 
250  miles  from  New  York.  The  landscape  thereabout  is  undulating,  occasionally  rising  to  hills  of  considerable  size;  but  scenically  there  is 

nothing  particularly  attractive, 
aside  from  the  beautiful  farms 
and  truck-gardens  that  clothe 
the  knolls  with  prodigal  har 
vests.  Historically,  the  place 
is  imperishably  famous,  for  here 
was  fought,  on  the  1st,  2d  and 
3d  of  July,  1863,  the  bloodiest 
and  hottest-contested  battle  of 
the  civil  war.  From  every  emi 
nence  this  dreadful  field,  though 
it  now  smiles  with  plenty,  still 
presents  memorials  of  that  ever- 
memorable  conflict.  There  is 
Cemetery  Hill,  the  old  grave- 
place  of  the  town,  where  thou 
sands  slept  before  the  awakening 
alarms  of  cannon  and  musket 
enveloped  the  scene  in  battle- 
smoke.  Here  it  was  that  the 
Union  forces,  under  General 
Meade,  pitched  their  quarters, 
because  it  commanded  a  view  of 
the  adjacent  country.  One  mile 
towards  the  west  is  Seminary 
Ridge,  the  spot  chosen  by  the 

TOMB  OVER  THE  GRAVE  OF  WASHINGTON'S  MOTHER,  AT  FREDERICKSBURG,  VIRGINIA.  Confederates, underGeneral  Lee, 

449  29 


450 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


as  their  vantage-point  and  headquarters.  Now  sweep  the  horizon  and  mark  the  places  where  the  battle  waxed  fiercest;  where  the  dead  lay 
thickest  and  the  thunder  of  conflict  was  loudest.  There  is  Willoughby  Run,  where  the  battle  began  and  where  Buford's  cavalry  was 
hurled  upon  the  steel  of  Hill,  and  for  two  hours  withstood  the  hell  of  ball  and  bayonet  until  flesh  could  endure  no  more.  There  is  Round 
Top,  another  eminence  where  the  Union  lines  reformed,  with  the  left  wing  thrown  around  the  ridges  to  Cemetery  Hill.  There  is  where 
Longstreet  struck  Sickles  with 
such  fearless  resolution,  and  a 
whole  day  was  spent  in  a  con 
tention  for  Great  and  Little 
Round  Top,  without  advantage 
to  either  side,  but  with  frightful 
losses  to  both.  Now  on  Ceme 
tery  Hill  the  eyes  of  the  world 
must  rest,  for  here  it  was,  on  the 
third  day ,  that  such  fighting  was 
clone  as  Greek  nor  Roman  ever 
knew.  After  a  lull  at  midday, 
two  hundred  brazen  throats 
were  opened  with  boom  and 
screaming  shells;  the  air  became 
filled  with  smoke,  and  the  earth 
was  choked  with  dead,  until 
there  came  a  lull,  out  of  which 
broke  a  column  three  miles 
long,  whose  gray  uniforms  soon 
proclaimed  the  advance  of  Gen 
eral  Pickett  leading  his  army 
in  a  desperate  resolve  to  storm 
the  Union  position.  No  charge 
ever  made  was  more  terrible, 
no  repulse  was  ever  more  fatal. 
Americans,  whatever  be  their 
sympathies,  whatever  their 
prejudices,  may  feel  proud  of 
the  heroism  displayed  by  both 
armies  on  that  day  of  carnage 
around  Cemetery  Hill.  It  was 
a  courage  that  glorifies  America.  THE  DEVIL>S  DEN'  BATTLE-FIELD  OF  GETTYSBURG. 

The  54,000  souls  that  laid  down  their  arms  and  answered  roll-call  the  morning  of  July  4th  on  the  parade-grounds  of  paradise,  were 
our  countrymen.  They  were  distinguished  by  uniforms  of  blue  and  gray  then;  they  are  invested  with  robes  now  that  are  woven  without 
color.  Let  the  trumpets  blare,  and  the  drums  be  beaten,  but  let  it  be  on  Memorial  Day,  as  salutes  of  remembrance  for  the  heroes  who  died 


ROUND  TOP,  OVERLOOKING  THE  .BATTLE-FIELD  OF  GETTYSBURG. 


452 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


within  the  gates  of  Cemetery  Hill,  at  Round  Top,  the  Stone  Fence,  Culp's  Hill,  Seminary  Ridge,  Willoughby  Run  and  Benner's  Hill. 
Gettysburg  is  of  itself  a  monument  to  human  courage,  but  its  field  of  blood  has  been  made  a  national  cemetery  of  seventeen  acres, 
•which  was  dedicated  with  imposing  ceremonies  on  November  19,  1863,  at  which  President  Lincoln  made  the  greatest  address  ever 
•delivered  on  American  soil,  "With  malice  toward  none,  with  charity  for  all."  A  soldiers'  monument  was  erected  in  1868,  which  is  sixty, 
feet  high,  surmounted  by  a  marble  figure  of  Liberty,  and  occupies  a  crown  of  the  hill,  where  it  is  a  conspicuous  object  for  miles 
.and  arranged  in  semi-circles  about  the  base  are  the  graves  of  nearly  three  thousand  of  the  unidentified  victims  of  the  dreadful  conflict. 

•"Thus  sleep  the  brave    who  sank  to 

rest, 
By  all  their  Country's  wishes  blest." 

From  Gettysburgh  our 
route  was  southwest  to  Wash 
ington,  and  thence  by  way  of 
Fredericksburg  to  Appomat- 
tox.  From  Washington  the 
Richmond,  Fredericksburg 
and  Potomac  Railroad  runs 
through  a  sterile  section,  unre 
lieved  by  either  picturesque 
scenery  or  smiling  field,  so  that 
a  part  of  it  has  long  been  known 
as  the  Wilderness,  famous,  how 
ever,  as  the  scene  of  many  great 
battles  in  1863-4,  many  traces 
of  which  are  still  to  be  seen 
from  the  car  windows  of  pass 
ing  trains.  Fredericksburg 
is  distinguished  also  as  the 
vicinity  in  which  Washington 
was  born,  and  where  he  spent 
the  greater  part  of  his  youth. 
Here  it  was  also  that  Washing 
ton's  mother  lived  for  a  long 
time,  and  died  in  1789.  A 
monument  erected  in  1883,  in 
the  suburbs  of  the  town,  marks 

the  place  of  her  sepulture.  Twelve  miles  beyond  Fredericksburg  is  the  battle-ground  of  Spottsylvania  Court  House,  where  Stonewall 
Jackson  received  his  death  wound,  May  2,  1863.  Indeed,  the  region  for  fifty  miles  thereabout  is  still  scarred  by  the  strokes  of  contending 
armies  delivered  thirty  years  ago,  and  cemeteries  in  which  repose  the  heroic  dead  of  both  Union  and  Confederate  are  numerous,  marked 
by  many  monuments  to  attest  the  appreciation  of  the  living  for  the  sacrifices  which  were  endured  in  those  dreadful  years  of  the  sixties.  But 
if  the  country  is  somewhat  barren,  and  gruesome  with  reminders  of  fratricidal  strife,  it  is  not  entirely  destitute  of  the  phases  that  lend 


A  VILLAGE  SCENE  OF  HAPPY  CONTENT  IN  VIRGINIA. 


AN  OLD  COLONIAL   HOUSE   AT  APPOMATTOX,  VIRGINIA. 


454 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


cheerfulness  to  life.  Here  is  essentially  the  land  of  happy  negroes,  where  poverty  abounds  with  joy,  for  absence  of  responsibility  is 
contentment  of  mind  with  the  colored  race.  At  the  depot  there  is  always  a  swarm  of  pickaninnies  eager  to  scramble  for  pennies  thrown  to 
the  crowd,  and  the  most  comical  scenes  imaginable  occur  at  these  tussles,  for  the  little  darkies  themselves,  in  an  array  of  all  sizes  and 
shades  of  black  and  brown,  a  company  of  tatterdemalions  that  would  put  Punch  and  Judy  to  rout,  are  ludicrous  enough  to  make  a  goat 
laugh.  The  street-scenes  of  villages  near-by,  as  well  as  in  the  suburbs  of  Fredericksburg,  are  equally  whimsical,  presenting,  as  they  often 
do,  human  nature  in  its  most  grotesque  aspect.  Horses  are  rarely  used  by  negroes  for  draught  purposes;  mules  more  frequently;  but 
bulls,  cows  and  yearling  calves  are  the  chief  dependence,  and  carts  the  popular  style  of  conveyance  with  these  happy-go-lucky  people. 
There  is  no  need  for  haste, 
and  the  loads  are  never  large, 
hence  a  yoke  of  cattle  are  as 
handy  as  a  span  of  horses,  and 
preferable  because  slow  move 
ment  allows  more  sleep  on  the 
way.  The  sun  makes  the 
tobacco  grow,  and  the  rain 
makes  music  on  the  cabin-roof; 
so  rain  or  shine  the  darkey's 
heart  is  always  light  and  the 
future  is  hidden  from  him  by  a 
veil  of  present  delight.  Such 
sights  teach  the  value  of  content, 
even  if  they  do  offend  ambition, 
and  in  them  the  philosopher's 
stone  has  its  hiding-place. 

From  Fredericksburg  our 
route  was  northwest  to  Appo- 
niattox  and  thence  east  by  way 
of  Richmond  to  Fortress  Mon 
roe,  on  the  peninsula.  We  were 
a  little  disappointed  to  find  the 
site  of  the  culminating  event  of 
the  war  destitute  of  any  special 


feature  of  interest  of  either  a 


FORTRESS  MONROE,  VIRGINIA. 


natural  or  artificial  character.  The  scene  of  surrender  is  not  even  marked  by  a  monument,  and  the  country  thereabout  is  a  pale  and 
somber  stretch  of  poorly-cultivated  lands.  Yet  there  are  exceptions;  for  occasionally  the  monotony  of  cabin  and  broken  fence  is  relieved  by 
prolific  tobacco-fields,  pretty  towns,  and  inviting  manors  adorned  with  colonial  houses  that  still  preserve  their  old-time  air  of  comfort  and 
Southern  hospitality.  Virginia  well  deserves  the  title  of  the  Dominion  State,  not  only  because  she  is  the  mother  of  Presidents,  but 
because  she  is  also  distinguished  as  the  native  state  of  many  of  the  greatest  men  and  women  born  on  American  soil.  "To  be  a  Virginian,  is 
to  be  a  gentleman,"  has  passed  into  an  adage;  and  the  country  is  proud  of  her  for  a  hundred  reasons,  which  reference  to  history  will  explain. 
If  her  soil  is  not  the  most  fertile,  yet  her  legacy  is  the  richest,  for  she  gave  to  the  world  such  men  as  Washington,  Madison,  Jefferson, 


AN  OLD  CABIN  HOME  IN  GEORGIA. 


456  AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

Randolph,  Clay,  Lee,  and  a  thousand  others  whose  names  and  deeds  are  alike  imperishable.  Fortress  Monroe  is  reached  by  the  Chesapeake 
and  Ohio  Railroad,  over  which  route  we  traveled  from  Appomattox.  It  is  located  at  the  point  of  a  peninsula,  formed  by  the  Fork  and 
James  Rivers,  which  projects  into  Chesapeake  Bay  where  it  joins  the  Atlantic.  The  situation  is  particularly  favorable  for  a  Government 
fortress,  and  its  natural  and  commanding  advantages  have  been  fully  utilized,  for  it  is  the  largest  and  strongest  fortification  in  America. 
Hampton  Roads  separates  the  point  of  the  peninsula  from  the  opposite  land.  This  body  of  water  is  about  five  miles  wide  and  forms  the  out 
let  of  James  River.  It  was  in  the  Roads  that  the  most  famous  of  modern  naval  battles,  between  the  Monitor  and  the  Merrimac  (Virginia), 
took  place,  March  9,1862. 
Two  miles  below  Fortress 
Monroe  is  Old  Point  Com 
fort,  a  very  popular  resort 
and  the  seat  of  the  Na 
tional  Soldiers'  Home. 
Newport  News  is  nine 
miles  above  the  Fortress, 
on  Hampton  Roads;  and 
Yorktown,  the  place  of 
Cornwallis'  surrender  to 
Washington,  October 
19,  1781,  is  twenty-five 
miles  north,  on  York 
River,  both  places  pos 
sessing  great  historic  in 
terest  for  events  of  which 
they  were  the  scene  during 
the  Revolutionary  war. 

Crossing  Hampton 
Roads  by  steamer  to  Nor 
folk,  we  proceeded  south 
ward  by  the  Norfolk 
Southern  Railroad, 
through  a  region  known 
as  the  Dismal  Swamp, 

famous  alike  in  fact  and 

r.  ,_.  «,  ,  DRUMMOND'S   LAKE,   IN   GREAT   DISMAL  SWAMP,  VIRGINIA. 

fiction.       1  he   term    has 

"been  indelibly  affixed  to  two  extensive  stretches  of  morass,  the  larger  of  which  lies  between  the  James  River  on  the  north  and  Albe- 
marle  Sound  on  the  south,  thus  covering  a  part  of  Virginia  and  North  Carolina,  having  a  length  of  about  forty  miles  and  a  breadth  of 
twenty-five  miles.  Little  Dismal  Swamp  is  wholly  within  North  Carolina,  in  the  peninsula  between  Albemarle  Sound  and  Pimlico 
Sound,  and  while  occupying  considerably  less  than  one-third  as  much  area  as  Great  Dismal,  is  probably  better  known  to  readers  because  of 
the  tragedies  which  have  been  enacted  within  its  dark  and  gloomy  districts.  Speaking  generally,  the  swamps  are  composed  of  a  spongy, 
vegetable  soil,  but  without  any  mixture  of  earth,  which  supports  a  dense  growth  of  aquatic  plants,  brush-wood  and  timber.  Sir  Charles 


OLD  FORT  AND  SEA  WALL  AT  ST.  AUGUSTINE.  FLORIDA. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

Lyell,  the  distinguished  geologist,  was  first  to  bring  to  notice  the  curious  fact  that  the  surface  of  the  swamp  is  actually  twelve  feet  higher 
in  many  places  than  the  surrounding  country,  so  that  its  drainage  is  outward,  except  where  a  few  small  streams  flow  in  from  the  west  side. 
The  center  of  Great  Dismal  is  occupied  by  Drummond's  Lake,  an  oval  basin  six  miles  long  and  three  wide,  with  perpendicular  banks  and 
fifteen  feet  depth  of  water.  In  and  around  this  lake  is  a  veritable  paradise  for  hunters,  for  its  waters  abound  with  fish  and  wild  fowl,  and 
the  adjacent  woods  are  the  favorite  haunts  of  deer,  bears,  wild-cats,  coons  and  swamp-rabbits.  The  region,  inexpressibly  dreary  as  it  is, 
contributes  largely  to  commerce  by  furnishing  immense  supplies  of  timber.  To  facilitate  transportation  the  Great  Swamp  is  intersected  by 
canals,  the  two  largest 
being  those  which  con 
nect  the  Elizabeth  and 
Pasquotauk  Rivers,  and 
Elizabeth  River  with 
Carrituck  Sound. 

Some  queer  little 
cabins  are  built  along 
these  water-ways,  a  few 
being  occupied  by  tim 
ber  cutters,  but  generally 
they  are  the  temporary 
abodes  of  hunters  who 
find  shooting  and  trap 
ping  both  pleasurable 
and  profitable,  and  who 
work  at  logging  out  of 
game  season.  Little  Dis 
mal  Swamp,  though 
smaller  than  its  more 
northern  neighbor,  is 
very  much  more  dense 
with  brush- wood,  and  de 
cidedly  more  forbidding, 
because  its  gloomy  depths 
rarely  echo  with  the 
voice  of  man,  or  the 
sound  of  the  woodman's 


A   HUNTER'S  CABIN   ON   THE   CANAL,   DISMAL  SWAMP. 


ax.  Fifty  years  ago  it  was  the  refuge  of  runaway  negroes,  and  a  dangerous  place  for  a  white  man  to  be  seen,  because  the  blacks  who  hid 
in  its  thick  coverts  were  usually  of  the  most  desperate  character,  who  would  not  hesitate  at  crime.  One  of  the  best- remembered,  because 
the  most  tragic,  negro  insurrections  that  ever  occurred  in  Virginia  was  headed  by  a  Samsonian  black  named  Nat  Turner.  Under  his 
leadership  more  than  a  hundred  armed  negroes  rose  against  their  masters  and  massacred  a  score  of  men,  women  and  children.  When  a 
sufficient  force  of  whites  was  mustered  to  oppose  them,  the  negroes  fled  to  Little  Dismal  Swamp,  where,  after  great  length  of  time,  they 
were  starved  into  surrender.  Nat  Turner,  however,  was  last  to  submit  to  his  pursuers,  and  committed  so  many  crimes,  while  the  search 


PONCE   DE   LEON   HOTEL,  ST.   AUGUSTINE,   FLORIDA. 


460 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


for  him  continued,  that  his  very  name  became  a  terror;  but  he  was  at  last  captured  through  betrayal  by  a  negro  whom  he  trusted,  and  after 
due  trial  was  convicted  and  hanged. 

Our  next  halting  place  on  the  flight  southward  was  Savannah,  the  Gate  City,  as  it  is  the  Queen  City  of  the  South.  Next  to  Atlanta 
in  commercial  importance,  Savannah  is  easily  first  of  all  sunny  metropoli  in  the  superb  beauty  of  its  situation  and  the  park  grandeur  of  its 
surroundings.  Here  it  was  that  General  Ogelthorpe  founded  his  Georgia  colony  early  in  1733;  and  the  flourishing  city,  from  which  the 
first  ocean  steamer  that  ever  at 
tempted  to  cross  the  Atlantic 
sailed,  and  its  rank  as  the  sec 
ond  cotton  port  of  the  United 
States,  are  striking  proofs  of 
his  foresight  and  excellent  dis 
crimination. 

The  city  is  situated  on  a 
bold  bluff  overlooking  the  Sa 
vannah  River,  along  which  it 
extends  in  a  curved  front  for  a 
distance  of  three  miles,  afford 
ing  excellent  wharfage.  The 
streets  are  all  very  broad  and 
magnificently  shaded,  while 
parks  containing  one  to  three 
acres  occur  at  all  the  principal 
intersections,  charmingly  laid 
out  and  beautified  with  flowers, 
which  grow  in  that  warm  cli 
mate  in  the  richest  profusion. 
Flower  gardens  constitute  one 
of  the  most  characteristic  fea 
tures  of  the  place,  for  a  majority 
of  the  residences  are  surrounded 
by  ample  grounds  that  are 
abloom  with  flowering  plants 
throughout  the  year.  This  is 
the  borderland  of  southern  ever- 
greens,  where  the  stately  oak  is  BONAVENTURE  CEMETERY,  SAVANNAH,  GEORGIA. 

festooned  with  pearl-gray  mosses,  and  the  orange  and  the  magnolia  fill  the  air  with  delicious  perfumes.  Along  the  streets,  too,  are  rows  of 
flowering  oleanders,  pomegranates,  palmettos,  bananas,  laurels,  bays  and  sweet  crape-myrtles.  But  of  all  the  beauties  about  Savannah  none 
rival  the  charms  of  Bonaventure  Cemetery,  four  miies  from  the  city,  on  Warsaw  River,  and  reached  by  a  shell  road  that  is  equal  to  any 
drive-way  in  the  world.  Every  grave  is  a  flower-bed,  and  the  long  avenues  canopied  with  moss-garlanded  oaks  present  a  picture  Arcadian 
in  its  loveliness,  and  suggestive  of  those  flowery  glades  through  which  immortals  might  delight  to  wander. 


OLD  CITY  GATES,  ST.  AUGUSTINE,  FLORIDA. 


462 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


The  country  district  about  Savannah  is  somewhat  similar  in  appearance  to  that  of  Western  North  Carolina,  except  that  its  mountains 
are  not  nearly  so  high.  The  soil,  however,  is  practically  the  same,  as  are  the  social  conditions;  and  hence  the  constant  reminder  of  that 
section  which  we  have  already  described.  The  old  log-cabin  is  a  familiar  sight  in  Georgia,  often  vine-wreathed,  and  showing  signs  of 
great  antiquity,  with  roofs  of  clap-board,  upon  which  the  rain  patters  like  the  long-roll  beat  of  a  snare-drum.  The  picture  which  we  present 
is  typical  of  this  class,  and  an  example  as  well  of  rural  simplicity.  Homely,  battered  by  time,  and  affording  few  comforts,  yet  in  such 
cabins  greatness  has  often  had  its  birth,  nor  scorned  such  humble  nativity.  How  many  men  of  high  estate  lie  down  in  the  drapery  of  fine 
linen  and,  when  night  has  folded  the  earth  in  her  sable  arms,  think  of  the  old  cabin  home  in  Georgia;  of  the  long  time  ago;  of  the  bubbling 
spring  in  the  hollow  and  the  gourd  that  hung  by  it;  of  the  grape-vine  swing,  and  the  cows  mooing  in  the  pasture;  of  father  and  mother> 
and  the  graves  on  the  hillside. 
And  there  is  a  sigh  from  the 
heart.  The  old  time  was  the 
flush  of  life's  morning;  it  is 
growing  evening  now,  and  the 
shadows  are  creeping  up  the 
slopes.  Soon  the  present  will 
be  the  "old  times"  to  our 
children.  How  many  men  who 
have  achieved  greatness  would 
exchange  their  possessions  and 
positions  for  youth  and  the  old 
cabin  home  as  they  see  it  now 
in  their  dreams !  Many,  yes, 
very  many. 

Inseparable,  almost,  from 
the  log-house  of  the  Southern 
poor,  is  the  cabin  home  of  the 
negro,  because  the  two  are 
separated  by  such  a  thin  line  of 
distinction  that  only  critical  in 
spection  can  prevent  them  from 
assimilating  in  the  minds  of 
those  unfamiliar  with  Southern 
life.  There  is  the  same  stone-  A  HOME  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS  OF  GEORGIA. 

chimney  and  clap-board  roof,  but  the  colored  man's  cabin  is  a  single  room,  and  the  front  is  porchless.  More  hasty  construction  is  also 
noted,  for  the  logs  are  laid  like  a  turkey-pen,  and  clap-boards  are  used  again,  not  for  weather-boarding,  but  as  a  substitute  for  batten. 
Windows  are  not  needed,  through  which  to  exchange  civilities  with  the  season,  for  there  are  holes  and  crannies  to  let  smoke  out,  and 
plenty  of  accidental  entrances  for  the  warm  summer  air  to  get  in.  It  is  thus  at  small  effort  and  no  care  the  worst  weather  is  kept  out,  and 
contentedness  reigns  within. 

Through  Georgia  and  into  the  land  of  orange  groves  we  sped,  stopping  a  day  at  Jacksonville,  and  then  hurried  on  to  San  Augustine, 
the  oldest  town  in  America  (founded  by  the  Spanish  in  1565),  and  possibly  the  most  interesting.     It  is  a  link  which  connects  the  present 


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464 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


with  the  earliest  events  of  discovery  in  our  country — a  link  rusty  with  the  blood  of  conquest  and  martyrdom.  Here  it  was  that  Spanish 
cruelty  and  French  retaliation  were  carried  to  the  most  barbaric  extreme,  and  the  enslavement  of  native  Indians  began.  Passing  through 
the  first  ordeals  of  settlement,  a  century  later  it  was  bitterly  afflicted  by  raids  of  Indians  and  the  plundering  of  pirates,  so  that  its  growth 
was  prevented,  and  not  until  the  British  surrendered  possession  to  the  United  States  in  1821,  did  the  place  show  any  indications  of  per 
manency,  or  that  it  would  attain  to  any  importance  beyond  what  it  had  before  reached  as  a  very  small  village. 

St.  Augustine  is  located  on  a  narrow  peninsula  formed  by  the  Matanzas  and  San  Sebastian  Rivers,  and  is  separated  from  the  ocean 
by  Anastasia  Island.  From  a  place  of  little  consequence,  in  the  last  few  years  it  has  become  distinguished  as  the  most  popular  winter  resort 
in  the  South.  Several  things  have 
conspired  to  bring  about  this 
change,  chief  of  which,  however, 
was  the  enterprises  of  Mr.  H.  M. 
Flagler,  who,  recognizing  its 
favorable  location,  resolved  to  con 
vert  the  town  from  a  listless,  sleep 
ing,  poverty-stricken  village  into 
such  an  Eden  of  loveliness  as  the 
arts  of  man  can  create.  In  accom 
plishing  this  object  he  spent 
$6,000,000,  and  the  improvements 
are  of  such  a  character  as  may  well 
satisfy  his  ambition.  The  Ponce 
de  L,eon  Hotel  is  a  revival  of  the 
richest  examples  of  Moorish  archi 
tecture.  It  is  old  Spain  of  the 
golden  reign  of  Ibn-1-Ahmar  trans 
ported  to  American  shores.  And 
strange  coincidence  it  is,  that  the 
year  in  which  Columbus  set  sail  on 
his  first  western  voyage  in  quest  of 
eastern  lands,  the  year  of  the 
Moorish  Expulsion,  the  beautiful 
Alhambra,  most  magnificent  build 
ing  that  ever  graced  the  earth,  was 
given  over  to  vandalism  and 
spoliation.  The  Ponce  de  Leon,  with  its  lavish  adornment,  picturesque  style  and  exquisite  grounds,  in  which  every  known  tropical  plant 
is  made  to  add  its  beauty  and  shed  its  fragrance,  while  fountains  cool  the  summer  air,  is  a  reminder  of  the  great  palace  of  Grenada,  and 
the  chivalry  of  Spain  in  the  time  of  Columbus. 

But  the  interest  to  St.  Augustine  visitors  is  not  confined  to  the  Ponce  de  Leon,  glorious  as  it  is,  joined  though  it  be  to  its  almost 
equally  superb  annexes,  the  Cordova  and  Alcazar,  for  the  city  is  filled  with  the  relics  of  an  olden  time,  and  associations  that  are  almost 
painful  to  recall.  Along  its  water-front  extends  a  sea  wall  one  mile  in  length  and  ten  feet  broad,  built  of  coquina  and  coped  with  granite, 


THE   HEAD  OF   HALIFAX  RIVER,   ABOVE   ORMOND. 


AVENUE  OF  MOSS-COVERED  OAKS,  NEAR  ORMOND,  FLORIDA. 

3° 


466 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


forming  an  incomparable  promenade  between  the  old  Franciscan  monastery,  now  used  as  a  barracks,  and  the  ancient  fort  of  San  Marco, 
now  known  as  Fort  Marion.  Though  not  the  most  formidable,  these  antique  fortifications  rank  all  others  of  this  country  in  interest.  Their 
construction  was  begun  by  Menendez  de  Aviles  in  1565,  at  the  time  of  the  founding,  but  were  not  completed  until  two  centuries  later,  all  of 
the  work  being  performed  by  enslaved  Indians.  The  fortifications  cover  about  four  acres,  and  the  walls  are  of  coquina,  a  conglomerate  of 
shells  and  sand  brought  from  Anastasia  Island,  which,  soft  when  dug,  hardens  by  exposure.  The  fort  is  a  splendid  example  of  the  best 
military  architecture  of  the  time,  being  in  the  shape  of  a  trapezium,  surrounded  by  a  wide  and  deep  moat,  and  with  walls  twenty-one  feet 
high,  sharp  bastions  at  the  corners,  thick  casemates,  and  subterranean  passages  and  vaults  which  might  serve  equally  for  refuge  ports  or 
dungeons.  That  some  of  these  were  used 
for  the  latter  purpose  is  proved  by  the  fact 
that  in  one  of  the  least  accessible  dungeon- 
rooms,  the  entrance  to  which  was  acci 
dentally  found,  two  skeletons  chained  to 
the  wall  were  discovered.  What  a  story 
of  suffering  these  might  tell  if  they  could 
speak! 

In  the  earlier  centuries  a  wall  extended 
across  the  peninsula,  which  protected  the 
city  from  attack  on  the  north  side,  but 
nothing  now  remains  of  this  defense  except 
the  old  city  gates,  at  the  head  of  St.  George 
street.  These  are  massive  square  towers 
fifteen  feet  high,  pierced  with  loop-holes, 
and  at  the  base  of  each  is  a  sentry-box, 
which  the  guards  occupied  when  on  duty. 

Near  the  center  of  the  business  part  of 
the  city  is  the  old  slave-market,  adjoining 
which  is  the  Plaza  de  la  Constitution,  con 
taining  a  monument  erected  in  1812, 
commemorative  of  the  Spanish  Liberal 
Constitution,  while  another  monument 
stands  in  front  of  the  old  Market,  which 
was  erected  in  1879,  in  honor  of  the  Con 
federate  dead. 

Besides  being  a  great  winter  resort,  St.  Augustine  is  a  place  of  some  commercial  importance,  its  largest  industry-  being  the  manufact 
ure  of  palmetto  hats,  while  in  the  convents  a  fine  quality  of  lace  goods  is  made,  by  girls  and  the  nuns  in  charge. 

It  is  about  seventy-five  miles  from  St.  Augustine  to  Ormond  by  the  Jacksonville,  Tampa  and  Key  West  Railroad^one  of  the  branches 
of  the  Plant  System,  whose  terminus  is  Daytona,  five  miles  below  Ormond.  Indeed,  nearly  every  road  in  Florida  is  the  property  of  the 
Plant  company, which  has  proven  a  factor  of  incalculable  benefit  to  the  State,  and  has  reaped  correspondingly  great  reward.  Ormond  is  located 
on  the  head  of  Halifax  River,which  is  a  part  of  the  Indian  River  Lagoon,  connected  by  the  Mosquito  Haul-Over,  or  canal.  We  are  now  in 
the  sub-tropics,  and  among  the  paridisaic  delights  of  a  marvelous  sun-browned  land, where  the  mocking-bird  opens  the  matin  competition  in 


PALMETTO  HUTS  NEAR  TITUSVILLE,  FLORIDA. 


RUBBER,  OR   BANYAN  TREE,  ON   BANANA   RIVER,   FLORIDA. 


468 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


the  college  of  vernal  hymns,  and  the  palmettos  are  vocal  with  the  softly  stirring  breeze.  The  landscape  is  a  dreamy  haze  of  incomparable 
loveliness,  where  a  feast  of  flowers  is  perpetually  spread,  and  the  voice  of  peris  may  be  heard  down  under  the  green  waters  of  a  murmuring 
sea.  Only  a  thin  stretch  of  golden  beach  lies  between  the  mainland,  on  which  Ormond  is  located,  and  the  ocean,  so  near  that  the  billows 
are  distinctly  heard  beating  against  the  shore.  Along  this  water-front  of  lagoon  and  sea  are  gleaming  sands  so  hard  that  step  nor  wheel 
make  any  impression,  and  so  inviting  that  nymphs  might  make  it  a  playground.  West  of  the  village  is  a  typical  hummock  of  tropical 
growths,  penetrated  by  a  glade  that  is  embowered  and  sweetly  shaded  by  massive  oaks  gracefully  festooned  with  pearl-gray  mosses,  and 
palmettos  that  flaunt  their  tangled,  rustling  branches  before  the  beaming  sun.  Hereabout,  too,  are  groves  rich-laden  with  fruits  as  golden 
as  those  that  were  plucked  by 
Hercules  in  the  garden  of  Hes- 
perides;  where  the  orange  and 
the  banana  bend  beneath  the 
weight  of  their  own  delicious- 
ness,  and  pour  out  their  honey 
to  the  bees  in  rich  extravagance. 
At  Ormond  boat  was  taken 
for  a  trip  down  Indian  River, 
a  journey  which  all  the  speech 
of  adjective  and  imagery  cannot 
jnstly  describe.  Indian  River 
and  Halifax  River  are  not 
streams,  but  shallow  lagoons, 
strips  of  the  ocean  enclosed  by 
narrow  tongues  of  sandy  beach, 
severed  by  occasional  inlets 
through  which  the  billows  break 
tumultuously.  Its  extreme 
length,  forthe  two  are  now  joined 
by  a  canal,  is  about  two  hundred 
miles,  and  though  rarely  more 
than  three  feet  deep,  and  in 
placess  less,  the  lagoon  is  navi 
gated  by  a  line  of  stern-wheel 
boats,  which,  in  winter-time, 
are  crowded  with  excursionists,  IN  THE  DEEP  PALMETTO  SOLITUDES  ALONG  INDIAN  RIVER. 

notwithstanding  their  sleeping  accommodations  are  confined  almost  entirely  to  cots  in  the  cabins.  One  line  runs  to  Titusville,  and  there 
connects  with  another,  which  carries  passengers  as  far  south  as  Jupiter,  the  southern  limit  of  the  river.  In  the  last  year  (1892)  a  railroad 
has  been  built  from  Titusville  to  Rockledge,  and  is  being  pushed  southward,  so  that  in  another  year  or  two  the  trip  to  Jupiter  may  be  made 
by  rail.  But  the  boat  journey,  though  beset  by  some  harassments,  consequent  upon  narrow  passages  and  low  water,  will  lose  little  of  its 
popularity,  because  it  will  always  remain  one  of  the  most  delightful  that  can  be  taken.  The  connection  between  Halifax  and  Indian  Rivers 
is  by  means  of  a  canal  that  requires  constant  dredging,  and  through  which  it  is  difficult  to  pass  with  boat  when  the  wind  is  blowing  hard; 


ROCKLEDGE,  ON   INDIAN  RIVER,  FLORIDA. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


while  at  times  it  is  so  choked 
with  sand  that  the  boats  have 
to  be  literally  dragged  through 
by  means  of  hawser  and  capstan. 
New  Smyrna  is  a  town  of  some 
importance,  as  is  Titusville,  but 
besides  these,  the  landings  are 
of  no  consequence  as  trading- 
places,  consisting  of  never  more 
than  one  or  two  stores  and  as 
many  houses.  This  sparseiiess 
of  population  increases  the  in 
terest  of  travelers  on  the  river, 
for  the  charm  of  primeval 
beauty  and  attractiveness  thus 
remains. 

As  a  rule  the  banks  are 
covered  with  spiney-palmetto, 
which  is  almost  as  difficult  to 
eradicate  as  Canada  thistle,  and 
hence  few  attempts  are  made  to 
reclaim  the  land,  as  the  cost  of 
clearing  exceeds  the  value.  But 
at  occasional  intervals  the  banks 
are  diversified  with  orange 
groves,  and  bananas  are  also 
raised  to  some  extent,  but  the 
chief  industry  is  fishing,  for  the 
river  abounds  with  sheephead, 
pompano,  mullet,  cavalli,  and 
green  turtles.  Rockledge  is  a 
resort  of  great  popularity,  but 
of  no  commercial  importance, 
for  it  does  not  contain  a  single 
store.  For  beauty,  however,  it 
is  almost  unrivalled,  being 
richly  adorned  by  nature  and 
lavishly  beautified  by  the  arts 
of  man.  The  large  cabbage 
palmettos  that  grow  up  wildly 


SPOUTING  ROCK,   NEAR  JUPITER. 


ORANGE  GROVE  AT  ROCKLEDGE,  INDIAN   RIVER,  FLORIDA. 


472 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


along  its  coquina  banks  were  suffered  to  remain,  and  between  them  avenues  were  laid  out  and  covered  with  shells,  so  that  from  the  river 
there  is  a  lovely  prospect  of  gleaming  walks  ramifying  a  shore  of  brilliant  green.  Here  also  the  orange  grows  in  its  most  delicious  perfection, 
likewise  the  lemon,  banana,  and  grape  fruit;  and  such  a  breeze  of  perfume  greets  the  incoming  passenger  as  paradise  itself  might  exhale. 

The  river  at  Rockledge  is  nearly  six  miles  wide  and  furnishes  the  finest  sea  for  sailing,  for  the  salt-air  is  present,  and  the  dangers  of 
heavy  billows  are  absent.  Across  this  expanse  lies  a  broad  strip  of  land  which  is  divided  by  another  lagoon  called  Banana  River,  along 
which  is  a  charming  vista  of  wood  that  has  been  named  by  some  admirer  Fairyland.  This  strip  of  forest-growth  is  beautiful  enough  to 
justify  the  name,  and  wandering  through  groves  of  oranges,  palms,  magnolias  and  paw-paws,  on  shell-walks  of  snowy  whiteness  fancy 
pictures  a  troop  of  dryads  pic- 
nicing  among  the  trees,  and 
drinking  nectar  from  flaming 
begonia  flowers  that  sprinkle 
the  woods  with  scarlet.  At 
the  lower  end  of  Fairyland 
is  a  natural  park  in  which 
gnarled  oaks  spread  theirgiant 
shadowsoveralawnof  grasses, 
and  on  the  margin  is  a  grove  of 
pine-apples,  the  fragrance  of 
which  almost  stifles  the  odor 
from  the  orange-blossoms.  A 
single  cottage  is  the  only 
habitation  in  this  poetic  re 
treat,  before  the  door  of  which, 
are  lofty  paw-paws  waving 
their  feathery  crests,  and  a 
gigantic  rubber,  or  banyan 
tree,  whose  branches  woo  the 
soil  and  have  taken  root 
therein.  Only  one  other  speci 
men  of  this  remarkable  tree, 
of  equal  size,  is  found  in  the 

United  States,  and  it.  too,  is 

,  «.  ,  LAKE   OKEECHOBEE,   FLORIDA. 

a  native  of  Florida,  being  one 

of  the  chief  curiosities  of  Key  West.  There  are  other  species  that  exhibit  a  disposition  to  fix  the  points  of  their  drooping  branches  in  the 
ground,  but  it  is  peculiar  to  the  banyan  to  send  out  shoots  from  its  main  stems,  which,  instead  of  growing  upward,  point  straight  down,  and 
even  before  reaching  the  ground  the  ends  put  out  root-tendrils,  which  strike  into  the  soil  and  firmly  attach  themselves  as  soon  as  they  reach 
the  earth.  As  the  boat  proceeds  southward  from  Rockledge  the  way  grows  in  interest,  for  we  soon  reach  what  may  be  called  "the  region  of 
water- fowls."  Ducks,  coots,  water-hens,  absolutely  cover  the  river's  surface,  while  pelicans  increase  in  number  until  we  reach  Pelican 
Island,  where  they  swarm  by  thousands.  The  rising  of  water-fowl  before  the  boat  is  a  wondrous  sight,  and  the  beating  of  their  wings  on 
the  water  produces  a  sound  like  a  heavy  fall  of  hail  on  a  dry  clap-board  roof;  there  are  positively  millions,  and  the  commotion  which  they 


A  PINE-APPLE  GROVE  ON  INDIAN  RIVER,  FLORIDA. 


474 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


create  is  almost  pandemonium.  Another  remarkable  sight  which  we  witnessed  was  a  school  of  porpoises  that  had  strayed  into  the  lagoon 
(for  they  are  not  commonly  found  there)  which,  being  frightened  by  the  boat,  made  a  retreat  across  the  river  in  such  precipitation  that  the 
shallow  water  was  beaten  into  foam,  leaving  a  streak  of  white  behind  them  that  marked  their  course  some  time  after. 

The  character  of  the  shore  vegetation  also  changed,  the  spiney-palmetto  giving  place  to  mangroves  that  grow  so  thickly  a  man 
might  almost  walk  on  their  tops.  In  these  deep  forests  wild  game  is  abundant,  including  deer,  bear,  panthers  and  'coons;  and  on  our  journey 
we  saw  a  'coon  that  had  so  little  fear  it  scarcely  moved  even  when  the  boat  brushed  the  limb  upon  which  it  sat.  When  night  falls  upon 
these  solemnly  somber  deep  woods  a  sense  of  dread  steals  on  the  traveler,  though  he  be  in  a  gay  crowd  on  a  good  steamboat.  The  river 
narrows  for  nearly  ten  miles 
through  the  mangrove  thickets, 
and  during  this  interval  the 
banks  are  within  reach  from 
both  sides.  The  passage  is 
tortuous,  too,  and  the  boat  re 
quires  slow  and  careful  hand 
ling,  frequently  the  bow  striking 
one  bank  and  the  stern  the 
other,  while  the  electric  bull's- 
eye  light  penetrates  and  flashes 
like  a  Druid's  fire  dance  in  the 
tangled  copse  where  many  slimy 
and  uncanny  things  have  their 
haunts.  An  alligator's  grunt, 
a  loon's  cry,  a  frog's  hoarse 
croak,  and  a  snake-bird's  piping 
are  some  of  the  sounds  that  an 
imate  the  solitudes,  and  crack 
ing  branches  betray  the  prox 
imity  of  some  wild  beast  whose 
eyes  are  like  lanterns  in  the 
darkness. 

After  hours  of  patient  work 
ing,  Jupiter  Narrows  are  passed 
and  the  boat  speeds  on,  her 
iron  hull  often  grinding  on  the 

oyster-beds,  and  long  waves  breaking  over  the  shallows.  Eden  is  then  reached,  and  the  odor  of  the  pine-apple  is  perceptible  in  the  air.  A 
stop  is  made  to  allow  passengers  to  go  on  shore  and  visit  the  pine-apple  grove  near-by,  where  that  excellent  fruit  is  cultivated  successfully 
by  a  gentleman  who  first  lost  a  fortune  in  the  experiment.  A  mile  below  Eden  St.  Lucie  Sound  and  River  extend  several  miles  inland 
towards  Lake  Okeechobee,  twenty-five  miles  distant.  It  is  proposed  to  connect  the  lake  with  this  river  by  means  of  a  canal,  and  thus  drain 
the  swamps  and  everglades  of  Southern  Florida.  Another  shorter  canal  on  the  west  would  connect  the  lake  with  Caloosahat  River,  and 
thus  two  outlets  would  be  afforded,  which  would  speedily  accomplish  the  purpose  of  the  company  that  has  undertaken  the  enterprise. 


A  CAMP  OF  CONSUMPTIVES,   NEAR  LAKE   WORTH,  FLORIDA. 


ec 
O 


UJ 

O 

O 

< 
z 

< 

< 

— 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

Twenty-five  miles  below  Eden  is  Jupiter,  the  southern  termination  of  Indian  River,  a  little  town  that  derives  its  importance  from  the 
Government  light-house  which  stands  before  the  inlet  to  warn  vessels  off  the  dangerous  reefs  outside.  The  surroundings,  however,  are 
very  delightful,  especially  the  beach,  which  is  strewn  with  the  prettiest  ocean-shells  that  ever  a  pensive  person  gathered,  including  an 
occasional  pearly  nautilus,  a  perfect  one  of  which  we  had  the  good  fortune  to  find.  Near-by  is  the  Spouting  Rock,  a  coquina  formation  that 
rises  into  a  bank  and  which  has  been  hollowed  at  the  base  by  incessant  dashing  of  the  billows.  Into  this  grotto  the  waves  plunge  with  such 
force  that  they  drive  out  through  an  opening  in  the  top  of  the  rock  like  a  colossal  fountain,  and  are  scattered  by  the  winds  into  a  shower  of 
rainbows.  A  narrow-gauge  railroad  runs  south  from  Jupiter,  a  distance  of  eight  miles,  to  Juno,  its  terminus  on  Lake  Worth,  where  tourists 
take  a  steam  launch  for  Palm 
Beach  and  are  then  in  the  land 
of  the  cocoanut.  The  voice  of 
eloquence  grows  coarse  when  it 
attempts  to  paint  the  beauties 
of  this  o'er  fair  summer-land; 
a  land  where  warm  zephyrs  stir 
the  hazy  air  with  breath  of  per 
petual  bloom,  and  sensuous 
perfumes  fan  the  cheeks  of  lan 
guorous  day.  In  this  Arcadian 
spot  of  beauty,  where  the  air  is 
passionate  as  a  lover,  wooing 
and  kissing  the  flowers,  tossing 
and  embracing  the  fronds  of 
the  cocoa-trees,  there  is  a  joy 
like  retrospection;  a  communion 
with  the  rapturous  soul  of 
nature;  a  commingling  with  the 
creatures  of  our  sweetest  fancy; 
a  balmy,  delicious  sense  of  grati 
fication  that  lulls  and  etherial- 
izes;  that  bridges  the  gulf 
between  the  real  and  the  ideal; 
that  builds  substantial  castles  in 
clouds  of  gold,  and  makes  every 
thing  a  slave  to  our  desires. 

The  banks  are  pictures  of  beauty,  the  gardens  are  beds  of  perennial  delight.  Lake  Worth  is  separated  from  the  ocean  by  a  strip  of  land 
less  than  half  a  mile  wide,  and  this  narrow  tongue  of  what  was  once  bare  sand  has  been  converted  into  a  stretch  of  tropical  exuberance. 
For  a  distance  of  four  miles  there  is  an  unbroken  glade  of  cocoanut-trees,  while  nearer  to  the  sea-shore  are  banana  groves,  and  trees  bending 
to  the  ground  with  guavas,  sapodillas,  oranges,  lemons  and  other  tropical  fruits.  At  intervals  there  are  gardens  full-bearing  in  February 
with  beans,  peas,  tomatoes,  and  along  the  walks  are  flower-beds  that  flame  with  color  and  lade  the  atmosphere  with  nature's  incense.  To 
walk  through  such  a  grove  of  fruitful  delight  is  to  fill  the  heart  with  ecstasy. 


THE  ONE-OX  SHAY   IN   FLORIDA. 


WINTER  IN  FLORIDA. 


478 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


The  air  of  this  southern  region  is  not  only  languorous  but,  in  the  piney  districts  particularly,  is  balsamic,  and  hence  thousands  of 
consumptives  go  to  Florida  for  relief  which  they  cannot  find  elsewhere.  The  Everglades  are  not  what  they  were  formerly  pictured  to  be 
before  exploration  revealed  that  instead  of  impenetrable  swamps  they  are  sections  of  very  thickly  timbered  lands,  whose  only  drawback 
are  spiney-palmettos,  which  render  travel  through  them  very  laborious.  But  at  several  places  I  saw  parties  of  consumptives  encamped 
not  far  from  Indian  River,  and  also  in  the  vicinity  of  Lake  Worth,  where  they  spent  their  time  in  hunting  and  fishing,  and  claimed  great 
benefits  from  the  exercise  as  well  as  from  the  restoratives  contained  in  the  air. 

Returning  from  our  trip  down  Indian  River,  we  left  the  steamboat  at  Titusville  and  took  train  for  Enterprise,  at  which  point  we 
embarked  on  boat  for  a  run  down 
the  St.  John's  River  as  far  as 
Palatka.  The  journey  was  very 
different  from  that  on  Indian 
River,  yet  the  sensation  of  pleasure 
was  not  wanting,  for  the  stream, 
though  the  largest  in  Florida,  is, 
nevertheless,  characteristic,  slug 
gish,  rather  shallow  and  margined 
with  a  thick  growth  of  timber  and 
brush-wood.  The  landings,  while 
more  important  than  those  on 
Indian  River,  are  generally  small 
villages  whose  principal  popula 
tion  are  negroes.  The  industries 
in  Florida  are  not  varied  as  in 
other  States,  but  consist  mainly  of 
fruit  growing,  fishing  and  phos 
phate  digging.  Manufacturing 
there  is  none,  practically,  and  the 
people  derive  their  largest  revenue 
from  tourists,  who  pay  as  much 
for  oranges,  cocoanuts  and  pine 
apples  at  the  places  where  they 
are  grown  as  is  charged  for  the 
fruit  in  our  Northern  cities.  Yet 
there  are  signs  of  rapid  growth  in  SCENE  ON  THE  OKLAWAHA  R.VER,  FLORIDA. 

Florida,  and  the  State  has  a  bright  future,    for  it  is   settling  up  at  a  marvelous   pace,   and  with    an   excellent    class   of    immigrants. 

About  Palatka  are  many  very  fine  orange  groves,  and  the  city  is  in  a  flourishing  condition,  largely  through  the  business  of  fruit 
growing.  In  writing  of  the  St.  John's  River  Mr.  Edward  King  says,  with  truth  well  told:  "The  banks  are  low  and  flat,  but  bordered 
with  a  wealth  of  foliage  to  be  seen  nowhere  else  upon  this  continent.  One  passes  for  hundreds  of  miles  through  a  grand  forest  of  cypresses 
robed  in  moss  and  mistletoe;  of  palms  towering  gracefully  far  above  the  surrounding  trees;  of  palmettos  whose  rich  trunks  gleam  in  the 
sun;  of  swamp,  white  and  black  ash,  of  magnolia,  water-oak,  poplar  and  plane  trees;  and  where  the  hummocks  rise  a  few  feet  above  the 


AN  ORANGE  GROVE  NEAR  PALATKA,  FLORIDA. 


480 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


water  level,  the  sweet-bay,  the  olive,  cotton-tree,  juniper,  red-cedar,  sweet-gum,  and  live-oak  shoot  up  their  splendid  stems;  while  among 
the  shrubbery  and  inferior  growths  one  may  note  the  azalea,  the  sumach,  sensitive  plant,  agave,  poppy,  mallow,  and  the  nettle.  The  fox- 
grape  clambers  along  the  branches,  and  the  woodbine  and  bignonia  escalade  the  haughtiest  forest  monarch.  '  When  the  steamer  nears  the 
shore,  one  can  see  far  through  the  tangled  thickets  the  gleaming  water,  out  of  which  rise  thousands  of  cypress  knees,  looking  exactly  like 
so  many  champagne  bottles  set  into  the  current  to  cool.  The  heron  and  the  crane  saucily  watch  the  shadow  which  the  approaching  boat 
throws  near  their  retreat.  The  wary  monster-turtle  gazes  for  an  instant,  with  his  black  head  cocked  knowingly  on  one  side,  then  disap 
pears  with  a  gentle  slide  and  splash.  An  alligator  grins 
familiarly  as  a  dozen  revolvers  are  pointed  at  him  over  the 
boat's  side,  sullenly  winks  with  his  tail,  and  vanishes,  as  the 
bullets  meant  for  his  tough  hide  skim  harmlessly  over  the 
ripples  left  above  him.  For  its  whole  length  the  river  affords 
glimpses  of  perfect  beauty.  It  is  not  grandeur  which  one  finds 
on  the  banks  of  the  great  stream;  it  is  nature  nm  riot.  The  very 
irregularity  is  delightful,  the  decay  is  charming,  the  solitude 
is  picturesque." 

I  may  add  to  Mr.  King's  description  the  regretable  fact 
that  the  animate  scenes  which  he  pictured  are  no  longer  to  be 
witnessed  on  the  St.  John's  River.  The  persecution  of  alliga 
tors  by  travelers  on  the  steamers  has  resulted  in  the  practical 
extermination  of  those  curious  creatures  in  that  stream.  They 
are  now  protected  by  a  State  law,  but  it  came  too  late;  where 
alligators  were  plentiful  five  years  ago  they  are  now  a  curiosity, 
though  in  some  parts  of  Florida,  where  travel  is  not  heavy, 
their  number  is  not  yet  diminished,  but  every  year  they  are 
becoming  scarcer,  and  in  a  little  while  they  will  no  doubt  be 
extinct.  Not  only  are  alligators  persecuted  for  the  mere  sport 
of  killing,  but  thousands  are  annually  destroyed  by  professional 
hunters  for  their  hides,  which  make  an  excellent  leather.  '  The 
taxidermist  also  finds  his  business  increased  by  the  sale  of 
stuffed  specimens  to  visitors  from  the  North,  while  great  num 
bers  of  the  young  are  caught  and  sold  to  the  lovers  of  curious 
things  for  pets,  all  of  which  contribute  to  their  rapid  diminu 
tion,  and  their  total  extinction  is  therefore  a  matter  of  only  a 
short  while. 

Palatka  is  a  pretty  town  of  3,500  inhabitants,  and  situated 
roundings  and  importance  as  a  shipping  point,  it  is  healthfully  located  on  high  ground  and  in  the  midst  of  a  piney  region  noted  for  the 
blandness  of  its  climate.  Florida  has  been  transformed  within  the  past  very  few  years  by  the  Plant  railways  from  a  state  of  comparatively 
sandy  desolation,  without  roads  through  its  dense  growths,  into  a  country  of  great  advantages  and  thriftiness.  Fruit  trees  have  supplanted 
the  coverts  of  palmetto,  and  there  is  health  and  prosperity  abounding  everywhere.  The  "Florida  Cracker,"  as  her  languid,  backwoods, 
one-gallus  type  of  slovenly,  slow  humanity  is  called,  has  not  yet  wholly  disappeared,  but  the  transition  to  more  industrious  and  cultured 


EXCURSION  LAUNCH  ON  THE   RUN,  FLORIDA, 
in   the   heart  of  the  orange   belt.     Besides   its    picturesque    sur- 


A  PALMETTO  GLADE  NEAR  PALATKA,  FLORIDA. 

31 


482 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


citizenship  is  going  on,  and  it  is  particularly  apparent  about  Palatka.  The  old-time  conveyance  of  an  ox  in  shafts  hitched  to  a  cart  of 
uncertain  age  is  not  quite  obsolete,  but  it  survives  more  as  a  relic  than  as  a  thing  of  every-day  service;  and  people  who  visit  Florida  on 
a  winter  trip,  people  in  fine  linen  who  are  able  to  fare  sumptuously,  are  more  given  to  using  the  ox-cart,  than  are  the  permanent  inhab 
itants.  In  the  mountain  districts  of  Colorado  tourists  ride  burros;  in  Florida  they  affect  a  preference  for  the  harnessed  ox.  It  is  the 
influence  of  locality  that  diversifies  custom.  Another  curiosity  in  Florida,  peculiar  alike  to  Cuba  and  the  tropics  generally,  is  the  palmetto 
hut,  an  unsubstantial  structure 
roofed  and  ' '  weather-boarded ' ' 
with  palmetto  leaves,  but  which 
furnishes  protection  from  the 
sun  and  rain.  These  huts  are 
usually  built  to  serve  as  tempo 
rary  abodes  for  orange-pickers, 
and  are  therefore  usually  within 
or  near  the  groves.  Through 
out  Florida  it  is  the  custom  to 
sell  the  orange' crop  on  the  trees, 
the  purchasers  being  fruit 
dealers  from  the  North.  These 
dealers  employ  trained  pickers, 
who  work  throughout  the  sea 
son,  going  from  one  grove  to 
another,  until  the  gathering  is 
completed;  usually  they  pro 
vide  their  own  supplies,  like 
wise  their  shelter,  and  the 
palmetto  hut  serves  them  both 
well  and  economically.  When 
the  fleas  become  so  thick  as  to 
crowd  the  occupants,  they  burn 
the  hut  and  build  another.  It 
is  the  cheapest  way  yet  discov 
ered  of  getting  rid  of  these  elu 
sive  pests. 

At    Palatka  we   took  boat 

for  an  excursion  up  the  Ockla-  SILVER  SPRING  AND  OCKLAWAHA  STEAMBOAT. 

waha  River  to  Silver  Spring  and  Ocala,  the  head  of  navigation  on  that  stream.  Of  our  many  trips  in  the  East,  West  and  South,  this 
proved  to  be  the  most  unique,  the  most  wonderful,  the  most  sensationally  picturesque.  Ocklawaha  River  is  at  once  a  lagoon,  a  narrow 
lake,  and  a  swamp,  but  at  no  place  does  it  have  the  appearance  of  a  flowing  stream,  for  the  current  is  scarcely  perceptible.  The  shore-line 
is  indicated  by  a  profuse  growth  of  water-vegetation  and  cypress  knees,  while  at  places  the  river  is  so  narrow  that  lofty  trees  interlace  their 
branches  above  the  low  smoke-stack  of  the  boat.  And  what  a  boat!  It  is  well  adapted  to  the  trade,  and  to  that  end  is  unlike  any  other 


HOME  OF  THE  ORANGE-PICKERS   IN   FLORIDA. 


484 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


steamer  that  ever  sat  in  the  water,  a  thing  of  indescribable  shape,  an  object  of  surprise  and  curiosity.     On  this  queer  craft  fifty  people  may 

ride  in  comfort  during  the  day, while  attention  is  attracted  by  the  alligators,  cranes,  loons  and  snake-birds  along  the  shore,  but  the  night  must 

be  spent  in  vain  regrets  and  fighting  mosquitoes.     No  chance  to  get  lonesome  on  this  trip;  there  is  too  much  to  see  in  day-time  and  too  much 

to  do  at  night.     But  it  is  a  novelty,  an  experience,  a  sensation  worth  more  than  the  discomforts  that  must  be  endured.    Along  the  Ocklawaha 

alligators  are  still  plentiful,  because  shooting  is  not  allowed  from  the  boat,  and  there  is  no  other  way  to  approach  them  within  gun-shot 

distance.     The  lazy  monsters  may  be  seen  sunning  their  corrugated  backs  on  nearly  every  log,  and  in  their  company  huge  water-snakes  are 

often  found,  associated  with  big  and  little  snapping- turtles,  the  three  species  forming  a  congenial  but  most  repulsive  family  of  reptilian 

cozenship.      The   water   being 

half-stagnant  is   black   with    a 

vegetable  dissolution,   and  yet 

so  transparent  that  the  bottom 

may  at  times  be  seen.     But  if 

the   creatures   that   haunt    the 

river  are  offensive,  the  sight  is 

compensated    by    the     wonder 

which  they  excite;   while   the 

dense   woods   that   margin  the 

shore   are    resonant    with    the 

carol  of  birds  and  jewelled  with 

their  brilliant  plumage. 

The  trip  is  remarkably  in 
teresting,  but  the  greatest 
charm  that  attaches  to  the 
stream  is  found  when  the  boat 
reaches  Silver  Spring,  the  most 
exquisite  pool  that  was  ever 
rippled  by  dip  of  oar  or 
skimmed  by  lap-wing.  Tradi 
tion  tells  us  that  this  is  the 
marvelous  rejuvenating  spring 
of  which  Ponce  de  Leon  heard 
fabulous  tales  which  lured  him 
to  the  dark  interior  of  Indian- 
infested  Florida.  If  his  eyes 

ever  gazed  into  its  crystalline  deptns  surely  he  must  have  believed  that  his  quest  for  the  magic  fountain  had  been  rewarded.  The  clearness 
of  the  water  may  be  likened  to  the  air  itself,  for  at  its  greatest  depth  of  eighty  feet  objects  on  the  bottom  may  be  clearly  and  distinctly  seen, 
likewise  the  fissure  through  whicH  the  water  pours  up  like  a  veritable  fountain.  A  peculiarity  of  the  spring  is  the  prismatic  colors  which 
are  reflected  from  any  white  or  shiny  object  thrown  into  it.  To  test  this  curious  fact  I  cast  in  a  piece  of  broken  crockery  and  watched  with 
keenest  interest  the  fragment  as  it  sank  in  a  zigzag  motion  to  the  bottom.  No  rainbow  was  ever  so  brilliant  as  the  colors  which  flashed 
up  from  this  piece  of  saucer,  nor  did  ever  jewel  gleam  with  more  scintillant  beauty. 


SCENE  ON  THE  SUWANNEE  RIVER. 


A    HOME    IN  THE  SHADES  OF  SOUTHERN  PINES,  FLORIDA. 


486 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


The  flow  from  Silver  Spring  is  so  great  that  a  deep  river  one  hundred  feet  wide  is  formed,  which,  after  a  course  of  nine  miles,  joins 
the  Ocklawaha.  This  stream  is  called  the  Run,  and  a  little  launch,  or  tug,  plies  over  this  short  course,  carrying  visitors  on  an  excursion 
which,  if  brief,  is  incomparably  delightful.  Five  miles  from  Silver  Spring  is  Ocala,  on  the  Florida  Southern  Railroad,  to  which  point  we 
proceeded,  and  thence  north  and  west  by  the  Savannah,  Florida  and  Western,  and  the  Florida  Central  and  Peninsular  railroads  to  New 
Orleans.  Ocala  is  on  the  border  or  north  limit  of  the  hummock  lands,  and  thereafter  the  journey  was  through  pine-barrens  which  are  so  infested 
with  dwarf  palmetto  that  it  appears  to  be  an  impossible  labor  to  clear  it  away.  This  is  the  home  of  the  deer  and  likewise  of  the  rattlesnake, 
very  monsters  of  the  latter  being  more  plentiful  than  game;  but  north  of  Gainesville  the  country  presents  a  change  for  the  better,  being 
much  higher  and  undulating, 
with  hills  that  are  300  or  400 
feet  above  the  ocean  level,  and 
the  soil  is  exceedingly  fertile. 
The  vegetation,  too,  loses  its 
tropical  character,  orange 
groves  disappear,  and  fields  of 
tobacco  and  cotton  occupy  the 
landscape. 

At  High  Springs  we  crossed 
the  Santa  River,  a  tributary  of 
the  Suwannee;  at  New  Brad 
ford  we  touched  the  banks  of 
that  historic  river,  and  at  Ella- 
ville  crossed  the  stream  and 
halted  there  a  day  to  pay  to  it 
the  tribute  of  a  respect  aroused 
in  every  American  heart  by 
Foster's  mournful  pastorale, 
"The  Old  Folks  at  Home." 
Who  has  not  heard  ' '  Way  down 
upon  the  Suwannee  River"? 
and  who  hearing  the  song  has 
not  tried  to  picture  the  desolate 
plantation  and  the  dreary  heart 
that  went  up  and  down  the 
solitudes  of  the  deserted  cotton- 
field  sighing  for  the  old  massa  and  missus,  who  will  never  call  for  Pompey  again?  In  a  small  boat  we  rowed  down  the  river,  which  was 
as  still  as  death,  and  almost  as  motionless.  The  faint  sound  of  a  saw-mill  at  Ellaville  was  the  only  thing  that  gave  reminder  of  our 
proximity  to  civilization,  and  when  at  length  even  this  link  was  broken  by  distance,  it  seemed  as  if  all  creation  had  gone  into  mourning. 
The  spell,  while  mournful,  was  yet  dreamily  charming,  and  instinctively,  under  the  influence  of  such  lonesome  isolation,  we  sang  with  the 
fullness  of  appreciation,  "The  Old  Folks  at  Home."  Never  before  had  song  such  sweetness,  never  had  one  so  much  of  sadness,  to  me; 
and  when  the  last  note  died  away  there  was  a  feeling  of  oppression  in  the  silence  that  ensued.  The  old  song  brought  up  visions  to  which 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


487 


we  were  unused:  a  fallow-field  where  once  was  bounty;  a  large  white  mansion  with  its  long  porch  fallen  in  decay;  a  magnolia-tree  with  a 
mocking-bird's  deserted  nest  ready  to  fall  from  its  dead  branches;  two  grave-stones,  green  with  moss,  in  the  pasture,  and  an  old  darkey 
bowed  in  prayer.  The  Suwannee  has  its  source  in  Okefenokee  Swamps,  Georgia,  and  after  running  its  course  of  nearly  three  hundred  miles, 
empties  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  just  above  Cedar  Key.  At  some  places  the  river  has  considerable  width,  but  never  sufficient  depth  to  permit 
of  navigation  by  any  craft  of  considerable  size.  Its  banks  are  occasionally  high,  as  at  Ellaville,  but  generally  they  are  flat  and  overhung 
by  oaks  thickly  festooned  with  moss.  The  current  is  sluggish  and  the  water  seldom  clear,  carrying  as  it  does  a  thick  vegetable  solution. 
The  stream  is  neither  beautiful  nor  romantic,  save  as  it  acquires  the  reputation  for  being  both  through  the  song  that  has  made  it  as  famous 

as  our  largest  rivers. 

The  country  about  Ella 
ville  is  fairly  well  settled, 
though  the  place  itself  hardly 
ranks  as  a  hamlet.  We  arrived 
on  Saturday,  and  as  no  trains 
run  on  Sunday  we  were  com 
pelled  to  remain  over,  and  at 
tended  church  in  the  forenoon 
and  witnessed  a  baptizing  later 
in  the  day.  The  administra 
tion  of  the  ceremony  proved  to 
be  a  great  event  in  the  un 
ruffled  lives  of  the  people,  and 
many  came  long  distances  to 
witness  the  immersion  of  four 
candidates,  three  women  and  a 
man.  The  sight  of  a  baptizing, 
while  common  enough,  pos 
sessed  for  us  unusual  interest 
because  the  place  was  Suwan 
nee  River,  and  having  the  con 
sent  of  the  officiating  minister, 
took  a  photograph  of  the 


we 


A  SECTION   OF   BIENVILLE   PARK,   MOBILE,   ALABAMA. 


crowd  on  shore,  a  heavy  cloud 
overcasting  the  sun  immedi 
ately  after,  so  that  a  picture 


could  not  be  made  of  the  baptizing.  From  Ellaville  our  journey  was  continued  westward  through  Tallahassee  and  on  to  Mobile,  where 
a  short  stop  was  made,  and  thence  to  New  Orleans.  Mobile  is  not  only  one  of  the  oldest  towns  in  the  South,  but  is  among  the  earliest 
settlements  in  America,  the  exact  date  of  its  founding  being  in  dispute.  The  place  is  known  to  have  been  the  original  seat  of  the  French 
colonization  in  the  Southwest  as  early  as  1702,  but  its  growth  was  so  slow  that  the  Colonial  Government  was  transferred  to  New  Orleans  in 
1723,  and  with  the  change,  the  little  importance  which  it  had  acquired  became  lost,  nor  was  it  again  recovered  until  the  place  became  a 
rendezvous  for  corsairs  under  the  infamous  Lafitte,  from  1810  to  1815.  Its  greatest  prosperity,  however,  dates  since  the  civil  war,  though  some 


488 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 


years  preceding  that  troublous  period  Mobile  had  become  a  considerable  port,  her  chief  shipments  being  cotton,  coal,  lumber  and  naval  stores. 
The  entrance  to  Mobile  Bay  is  commanded  by  Forts  Morgan  and  Games,  which  are  thirty  miles  below  the  city,  and  on  the  east  side 
of  Tensas  River  are  the  ruins  of  Spanish  Fort  and  Fort  Blakely,  all  of  which  played  an  important  part  in  the  defense  of  the  city  when  it 
was  attacked  by  Admiral  Farragut,  in  August,  1864.  One  of  the  most  desperate  battles  that  was  fought  during  the  war  took  place  in  the 
harbor,  when  Farragut  ran  the  blockade  with  a  squadron  of  ten  powerful  men-of-war  headed  by  his  flagship,  the  Hartford,  and  encountered 
the  Confederate  fleet  inside.  One  of  the  . . 

I  51 

Union  ships  ran  onto  a  torpedo  and  was 
instantly  blown  into  fragments,  but  the  other 
vessels  met  with  little  apposition  until  at  the 
moment  when  Farragut  thought  the  battle 
won,  he  saw  with  surprise  the  dark  body  of 
a  strange  vessel  flying  the  Confederate  flag 
and  bearing  down  upon  him  at  great  speed, 
evidently  intent  upon  ramming  and  sinking 
his  ship.  The  Hartford,  by  a  piece  of  good 
luck  and  skilful  handling,  managed  to  avoid 
the  intended  blow,  and  then  followed  an 
engagement  that  has  few  parallels  in  fierce 
ness.  The  strange  gun-boat  proved  to  be 
the  Tennessee,  one  of  the  most  powerful  and 
destructive  that  the  Confederate  Government 
had  sent  into  service.  The  Union  irou-clads 
closed  around  their  black  and  terrible  antag 
onist  and  battered  her  with  their  heavy  prows 
of  steel  until  the  unequal  contest  was  ended 
by  her  surrender.  Forts  Gaines  and  Morgan 
were  also  captured,  but  Spanish  Fort  and 
Fort  Blakely  still  defended  the  city,  which  re 
sisted  all  efforts  at  its  reduction  until  April  12, 
1865,  three  days  after  the  surrender  of  Lee. 
Mobile  has  grown  greatly  since  the  war, 
and  now  has  a  population  of  nearly  35,000. 
It  is  situated  on  a  sandy  plain  that  rises  into 
high  and  very  graceful  hills.  Notwithstand 
ing  the  barren  shore  as  nature  made  it,  the 
arts  of  man  have  supplied  the  deficiency  of 
soil  and  made  of  the  streets  bowers  of  lovely  shade,  so  charming  that  much  of  the  city's  fame  is  due  to  the  noble  trees  that  arch  all  its 
streets.  Bienville  Park  is  one  of  the  prettiest  spots  in  southern  lands,  noted  far  and  near  alike  for  its  massive  live-oaks,  magnificent 
magnolias,  and  handsome  fountain,  a  place  swathed  in  delicious  airs  and  luxurious  with  the  richest  and  most  beautiful  vegetation. 

Westward  from  Mobile  the  route  was  by  the  Louisville  and  Nashville  Railroad  along  the  Gulf  border  of  Mississippi,  through  some  of 


AVENUE  OF  TOMBS  IN  WASHINGTON  CEMETERY,   NEW  ORLEANS. 


A  PLANTATION   HOME   IN   MISSISSIPPI. 


490  AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

the  lovliest  intervales  that  vision  ever  wandered  over.  The  air  is  warm  without  debilitating  sultriness,  for  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  tempers  the 
atmosphere  with  refreshing  humidity,  and  a  constant  breeze  shakes  the  perfume  out  of  flowering  shrub  and  tree.  Many  beautiful  places 
are  passed  on  the  run  of  one  hundred  and  forty  miles  from  Mobile  to  New  Orleans,  some  of  which  are  more  or  less  noted  as  winter  resorts, 
such  as  Ocean  Springs,  Biloxi,  Beauvoir,  Pass  Christian,  and  Bay  St.  Louis.  Beauvoir  has  a  place  in  history  as  being  the  residence  of 
Jefferson  Davis  for  several  years  after  the  war,  and  where  he  died.  The  way  is  beautified  also  by  many  palatial  homes  and  well-cultivated 
plantations  that  attest  the  thrift  and  prosperity  of  fanners  of  the  New  South. 

Between  Pass  Christian  and  Bay  St.  Louis  the  road  crosses  an  inlet  of  St.  Louis  Bay  on  a  steel  trestle,  and  a  few  miles  further  west 
passes  over  Pearl  River  and  enters  Louisiana.  The  land  is  level,  and  cut  up  by  innumerable  bayous,  and  after  crossing  the  narrow  outlet 
of  Lake  Pontchartrain,  called  Pigolet's,  the  road  runs  along  a  tongue  of  sea  marsh  for  a  few  miles,  then  plunges  into  a  dismal  swamp,  where 
the  alligator's  bellow  and  the  cormorant's  cry  are  the  only  sounds  that  disturb  its  stillness,  save  when  a  train  goes  growling  by.  "The  sea 
marsh  is  dotted  with  many  lakes,  where  green  vegetable  rafts  of  lotus  leaves  and  lily  pods  turn  slowly  with  the  tide  or  float  lazily  about, 
blown  by  the  breath  of  a  salt  breeze  sweeping  in  from  the  Gulf.  But  in  the  ghostly  gloom  of  the  swamp,  the  forest  trees  are  like  an 
assemblage  of  monstrosities,  great  gnarled  trunks  and  knotted  arms  of  moss-draped  oaks,  clutching  at  the  fan-shaped  fronds  of  palmettos, 
while  the  mixture  of  crooked  bodies  and  twisted  leaf-stems  of  the  latonia  appear  as  if  they  were  the  bodies  and  outstretched  arms  of  horned 
goblins  appealing  for  release." 

New  Orleans  is  a  very  old  city,  settled  by  the  French  in  1718.  Like  other  settlements  of  these  early  times,  it  has  passed  through 
many  evil  vicissitudes  and  been  in  turn  a  possession  of  France,  Spain,  and  the  United  States.  A  singular  thing  in  connection  with  the 
city  is  the  fact  that  it  is  built  upon  ground  that  is  considerably  lower  than  the  surface  of  the  Mississippi  during  high  water,  and  that  it  has 
no  more  substantial  foundation  than  an  alluvium  deposit  which  has  been  going  on  for  centuries,  constantly  extending  into  the  Gulf,  the 
point  of  outlet  of  the  Mississippi.  To  prevent  overflowing,  the  city  is  protected  by  a  dyke,  or  levee,  which  is  fifteen  feet  wide  and  fourteen 
feet  high.  This  earth-wall  follows  the  river's  crescent  winding  a  distance  of  ten  miles,  while  another  extends  across  the  rear  to  protect  the 
city  from  Lake  Pontchartrain.  To  secure  a  firm  foundation  for  some  of  the  large  buildings,  cotton-bales  have  been  used  on  which  to  build, 
as  piling  is  of  no  service.  But  that  this  character  of  basis  is  no  disadvantage  is  proven  by  the  fact  that  New  Orleans  is  noted  for  its  mammoth 
edifices,  public,  church  and  commercial,  which  give  no  sign  of  insecurity.  The  place  is  essentially  cosmopolitan,  for  in  no  other  city  is  the 
population  more  mixed,  nearly  every  street  being  occupied  by  a  different  nationality.  Commercially  it  is  next  to  New  York  as  an  export 
city,  and  easily  holds  the  honor  of  the  leading  cotton  port  of  the  country,  from  which  one-fourth  of  the  world's  supply  is  floated.  She  is  like 
wise  a  city  of  many  charms  and  great  historic  interest.  Within  the  city  proper  occurred  a  terrible  scene  following  the  rebellion  of  1763 
when  France  ceded  the  place  to  Spain,  while  at  its  southern  outskirts  is  the  battle-field  on  which  Jackson  won  his  glorious  victory  over  the 
British  under  Packenham,  January  8,  1815.  The  city  passed  through  another  storm  of  shot  and  shell  in  1862,  when  Farragut  compelled 
its  capitulation  after  a  terrible  bombardment.  But  these  scars  have  long  since  healed,  and  New  Orleans,  despite  plagues  and  wars,  has  held 
her  position  as  Queen  City  of  the  South  and  one  of  the  great  metropoli  of  America,  with  a  population  now  of  250,000,  which  is  rapidly 
increasing.  While  New  Orleans  is  famous  for  the  romance  with  which  her  history  is  invested,  for  her  immense  importance  as  an  export 
city,  and  also  for  the  beauty  of  her  parks  and  magnificence  of  her  private  residences,  the  curiosity  of  strangers  is  no  less  attracted  by  her 
cemeteries,  which  are  unlike  those  of  auy  others  in  the  world.  In  earlier  times  it  was  the  custom  thereto  bury  the  dead  in  shallow  graves, 
but  this  practice  was  finally  abandoned  for  the  more  sacred  and  sanitary  one  of  enclosing  the  bodies  in  tombs  above  the  ground,  and  then 
hermetically  sealing  up  the  mortuary  cell.  This  became  a  necessity  because  of  the  nature  of  the  soil,  where  water  is  reached  at  a  depth 
of  two  feet  below  the  surface.  Some  of  these  tombs  are  mausoleums  made  of  stone  or  iron  and  of  beautiful  architectural  designs,  but  the 
more  common  form  of  disposition  of  the  dead  is  in  a  wall  pierced  by  cells  large  enough  to  contain  a  coffin,  one  above  the  other,  to  a  height 
of  seven  or  eight  feet.  There  are  thirty-three  such  cemeteries  in  New  Orleans,  in  one  of  which  (Greenwood)  is  a  monument  to  the 
Confederate  dead;  and  in  another,  the  National,  at  Chalmette,  the  Union  dead  are  similarly  honored. 


FAIRY  GROTTO,  MAMMOTH  CAVE. 


492  AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

Having  completed  our  work  in  New  Orleans,  and  a  tour  of  the  Southeast,  or  at  least  that  portion  which  is  noted  for  its  semi-tropical 
characteristics  and  great  picturesqueness,  we  took  train  on  the  Louisville  and  Nashville  Railroad  for  Mammoth  Cave,  to  make  an  inspection 
and  photographic  tour  of  that  world-wonderful  natural  curiosity.  To  reach  the  Cave  our  route  was  northeast  through  Birmingham, 
Nashville,  and  thence  to  Glasgow  Junction,  at  which  point  connection  is  made  with  a  little  spur  of  the  Louisville  and  Nashville  Road,  which 
runs  directly  to  the  Cave,  a  distance  of  twelve  miles  from  the  Junction.  Mammoth  Cave  is  in  the  eastern  part  of  Edmondson  county, 
Kentucky,  eighty-five  miles  south  of  Louisville,  and  its  entrance  is  in  a  forest  ravine  nearly  two  hundred  feet  above  Green  River,  where 
the  banks  are  very  steep  and  high.  It  is  said  to  have  been  discovered  in  1809  by  a  hunter  named  Hutchins,  while  pursuing  a  wounded 
bear  that  had  taken  refuge  in  a  wide  crevice  that  led  directly  into  a  broad  chamber  of  the  Cave.  The  history  of  this  discovery  is  not 
sufficiently  definite  to  enable  us  to  know  which  one  of  the  two  points  of  entrance  was  thus  accidentally  found.  The  present  opening  used 
is  in  the  ravine  mentioned,  but  the  original  mouth  is  believed  to  have  been  the  aperture  that  is  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  above,  and  leads 
into  what  is  known  as  Dixon's  Cave,  a  disconnected  branch  of  Mammoth  Cavern. 

Luray  Caverns  are  lighted  by  electricity,  so  that  photographing  its  many  chambers  and  beautiful  stalactitic  formations  is  easily 
accomplished;  but  though  Mammoth  Cave  is  the  largest  and  best  known  of  the  world's  great  subterranean  recesses,  and  visited  by  about 
6,000  persons  annually,  no  provision  has  been  made  for  lighting,  beyond  the  crude  method  of  guides  who  carry  torches  and  candles.  To 
photograph  its  dark  rivers,  avenues,  configurations,  and  strange  sculpturings  many  attempts  have  been  made  by  the  aid  of  magnesium 
lights,  but  without  satisfactory  results  until  Mr.  Ben.  Hains,  of  New  Albany,  Indiana,  made  special  and  most  careful  preparations  to  do 
the  work  which  had  so  often  failed  in  the  hands  of  others.  Several  weeks  were  spent  in  the  cave  testing  the  powerful  artificial  lights 
which  he  had  provided,  and  by  dint  of  perseverance  he  was  at  last  rewarded  by  the  most  perfect  results.  To  this  enterprising  gentleman 
we  are  indebted  for  the  use  of  the  photographs  from  which  our  reproductions  are  made. 

Mammoth  Cave  first  came  into  notice  and  importance  about  the  year  1812,  when  it  was  discovered  that  the  cave  contained  vast  beds 
of  niter,  sufficient,  as  was  stated  at  the  time,  to  supply  the  whole  population  of  the  globe  with  saltpeter.  Gratz  and  Williams  were  the 
owners,  and  established  a  very  large  industry  in  collecting  the  nitrous  earth  by  means  of  ox-carts  and  shipping  it  to  Philadelphia,  where  it 
was  used  in  manufacturing  the  gun-powder  that  enabled  us  to  triumph  over  England  a  second  time.  The  region  is  essentially  cavernous, 
as  Professor  Shaler  estimates  that  in  this  carboniferous  limestone  district  of  Kentucky  "there  are  at  least  100,000  miles  of  open  caverns," 
but  very  few  of  the  five  hundred  caves  and  grottoes  of  Edmondson  county  contain  nitrous  earth.  On  the  other  hand,  there  have  been  very 
few  evidences  of  prehistoric  occupancy  discovered  in  Mammoth  Cave,  while  in  Salt  Cave,  its  neighbor,  and  almost  a  rival  in  size,  archaeo- 
logic  remains,  such  as  fire-places,  burnt  torches,  sandals,  and  moccasin-prints  are  numerous;  and  in  Short  Cave,  also  near-by,  the  mummi 
fied  bodies  of  several  small  animals  and  a  few  human  remains  have  been  found.  White  Cave  is  half  a  mile  from  the  Mammoth  Cave  entrance, 
and  the  two  may  be  connected,  though  the  communication  has  not  been  discovered.  But  there  is  a  decided  difference  in  the  formations  that 
characterize  the  two.  White  Cave  is  in  some  respects  similar  to  Luray  Caverns  in  its  exquisitely  charming  variety  of  stalactites.  In  the 
first  chamber,  "  Little  Bat  Room,"  as  it  is  called,  we  find  many  lovely  creations  and  a  few  objects  of  great  interest  to  paleontologists.  In 
the  second  room  is  a  piece  of  stalactitic  draper)',  which  has  been  very  appropriately  called  the  "Frozen  Cascade."  "Humboldt's  Pillar" 
and  "Bishop's  Dome"  are  other  wonderful  examples  of  the  effects  of  slowly  percolating  water  bearing  lime  in  solution.  In  this  same  cave, 
some  seventy  years  ago,  were  found  huge  fossil  bones,  of  the  megalonyx,  or  giant  sloth,  bear,  bison,  and  stag,  and  scattered  among  these 
animal  remains  were  a  few  human  bones. 

But  while  the  adjacent  caves  each  possess  an  interest  peculiar  to  themselves,  Mammoth  Cave  must  continue  to  remain  the  most 
remarkable  cavern  in  our  country,  not  only  for  its  size,  but  likewise  for  the  marvels  which  exploration  of  its  labyrinthine  avenues  has 
revealed.  To  Professor  H.  C.  Hovey's  admirable  and  scientific  description  of  the  Cave  I  acknowledge  my  indebtedness  for  a  larger  part  of 
the  information  here  imparted,  from  which,  also,  liberal  extracts  are  made,  though  without  quotation  credit. 

The  entrance  to  Mammoth  Cave  is  arched  by  a  rock-span  of  seventy  feet,  thence  leading  by  an  easy  descent  down  a  winding  flight 


OLD  STONE   HOUSE,   MAMMOTH   CAVE. 


494  AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

of  stone  steps  to  a  narrow  passage  through  which  the  air  rushes  outward  with  great  force  in  summer  and  is  drawn  inward  with  corresponding 
violence  during  the  winter,  a  phenomenon  due  to  the  inequality  of  temperature  between  the  air  inside  and  out  of  the  Cave,  for  the  tempera 
ture  of  the  Cave  is  uniformly  54°  Fahrenheit  at  all  times.  The  atmosphere  being  thus  constantly  agitated,  is  kept  constantly  pure,  for 
while  the  lower  levels  are  moist,  being  no  doubt  connected  with  Green  River,  the  upper  avenues  and  galleries  are  always  dry;  conditions. 
which  were  one  time  thought  to  be  particularly  favorable  to  consumptives,  as  well  as  to  those  suffering  from  other  wasting  diseases.  The 
experiment  was  therefore  made,  some  forty  years  ago,  of  building  thirteen  stone  houses  at  a  point  one  mile  within  the  Cave,  in  which  a 
number  of  invalids  took  up  their  domicile  and  lived  there  in  deep  seclusion  until  it  was  demonstrated  that  whatever  might  be  the  salubrity 
of  the  atmosphere,  consumptives  derived  no  benefit  from  it,  a  number  dying  in  the  Cave.  Relics  of  two  of  these  stone  huts  still  remain, 
but  they  exist  now  only  as  curiosities,  no  one  having  spent  a  night  in  one  of  them  for  many  years. 

The  main  cave  is  from  '40  to  300  feet  wide  and  from  35  to  125  feet  high,  divided  into  a  great  number  of  rooms  and  winding  avenues, 
the  extent  of  which  has  not  yet  been  determined,  for  exploration  of  the  Cave  is  far  from  being  complete.  Some  of  the  best  known  rooms 
are,  first,  the  Rotunda,  in  which  are  ruins  of  the  old  saltpeter  works,  and  where  the  skeletons  of  two  men  were  found  several  years  ago. 
Beyond  this  is  the  Star  Chamber,  where  the  protrusion  of  white  crystals  through  a  coating  of  black  oxide  of  manganese  creates  an  optical 
illusion  of  great  beauty.  Another  department  is  called  the  Chief  City,  a  chamber  of  nearly  two  acres  space,  with  a  vaulted  roof  125  feet 
high.  The  floor  is  bestrewn  with  rocks,  among  which  have  been  found  charred  torches  of  cone,  and  a  few  other  evidences  of  prehistoric 
occupancy.  There  are  also  shown  some  mummified  bodies,  preseved  by  their  inhumation  in  nitrous  earth,  utensils,  ornaments,  braided 
sandals,  and  other  relics,  but  all  of  these  were  found  in  Salt  and  Short  Caves,  near-by,  and  removed  to  Mammoth  Cave  for  exhibition.  The 
main  cave  ends  four  miles  from  the  entrance,  but  is  joined  to  other  spacious  chambers  by  winding  passages  leading  to  different  levels,  so 
that  while  the  cavern  area  is  perhaps  less  than  ten  miles,  the  total  length  of  the  avenues  is  supposed  to  be  150  miles. 

The  chief  places  of  interest  are  found  along  two  main  lines  of  the  explored  portions,  from  which  side  excursions  may  be  made. 
The  "short  route"  maybe  covered  in  about  four  hours,  but  it  requires  nine  hours  to  traverse  what  is  known  as  the  "long  route." 
Audubon  Avenue  is  the  first  leadway,  interesting  for  the  swarms  of  bats  that  hang  in  huge  clusters  from  the  ceiling,  but  it  is  not  until 
Gothic  Avenue  is  reached  that  stalactites  and  stalagmites  are  met  with.  This  passage  leads  into  the  Chapel,  at  the  end  of  which  is  a  beauti 
ful  double  dome  and  cascade;  thence  we  pass  into  the  Throne-Room,  with  its  royal  formations  of  surprising  splendors,  which  compel  visitors 
to  stop,  and  elicits  exclamations  of  wonder  and  admiration.  The  Bridal  Altar  is  almost  equally  grand, with  its  frosted  pillars  of  pearl-white, 
and  the  convolutions  of  their  magnificent  pediments  that  may  be  likened  to  clouds  in  the  sky  of  cave.  Indeed,  these  vertical  shafts  or 
petrified  columns  are  among  the  most  surprising  features  of  cave  scenery.  They  are  not  confined  to  the  Bridal  Altar,  however,  for  they 
pierce  through  all  levels,  from  the  uppermost  galleries  to  the  lowest  floors,  and  even  find  lodgment  in  the  sink-holes. 

A  block  of  stone  that  is  forty  feet  long  by  twenty  feet  wide  is  called  the  Giant's  Coffin,  and  when  viewed  from  a  certain  angle  the 
resemblance  to  a  funeral  casket  is  so  great  that  even  if  attention  were  not  called  to  it,  visitors  would  hardly  fail  to  be  a  little  shocked  by 
the  sight.  There  is  a  narrow  passage-way  around  the  coffin, which  followed  leads  to  a  large  vault  called  Gorin's  Dome,  in  which  there  are 
six  pits  varying  in  depth  from  65  to  220  feet;  truly,  awful  pits  to  fall  into.  Notwithstanding  the  treacherous  character  of  the  floor,  Gorin's 
Dome  is  one  of  the  finest  chambers  in  the  Cave,  for  it  is  charmingly  festooned  and  pillared  with  stalactitic  formations.  Mammoth  Dome, 
which  is  at  the  termination  of  Sparks  Avenue,  is  probably  more  interesting,  because  besides  having  its  walls  draped  with  a  marvelous 
tapestry,  the  great  wonder  of  the  room  is  immensely  increased  and  beautified  by  a  cataract,  which  falls  from  a  height  of  250  feet  and  fills 
the  apartment  with  its  musical  splashings.  The  Egyptian  Temple,  which  is  a  continuation  of  the  Mammoth  Dome,  contains  six  massive 
columns,  two  of  which  are  quite  perfect  and  eighty  feet  high  by  twenty-five  feet  in  diameter.  Lucy's  Dome,  which  is  three  hundred  feet 
high,  is  the  loftiest  of  these  monster  shafts,  the  equal  of  which  cannot  be  found  in  any  known  cave  in  the  world. 

The  Maelstrom,  in  Croghan's  Hall,  is  one  of  the  deepest  and  most  awful-appearing  pits  yet  discovered,  and  until  1859  no  one  had 
ever  ventured  to  explore  its  dark  recesses.  It  is  at  a  remote  point  in  the  Cave  and  seldom  visited,  because  the  way  is  beset  with  obstacles. 


GIANT'S  COFFIN,  MAMMOTH  CAVE,   KENTUCKY. 


496  AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

while  the  sight  is  neither  reassuring  nor  compensating.  A  son  of  George  D.  Prentice,  however,  braved  the  dangers  of  the  pit  by  permitting 
some  of  his  friends  to  lower  him  190  feet  by  a  rope  to  the  bottom,  but  his  experience  was  of  little  value,  because  he  found  nothing  of 
interest  to  reward  him  for  the  trouble.  Some  pretty  stalactites  are  near  this  pit,  and  also  in  Fairy  Grotto,  but  in  the  deeper  recesses  there 
is  a  remarkable  absence  of  these  formations.  Indeed,  considering  the  character  and  extent  of  Mammoth  Cave,  its  poverty  of  stalactitic 
ornamentation  is  surprising.  On  the  other  hand,  it  contains  an  unexampled  wealth  of  crystals  of  endless  variety  and  incomparable  beauty. 
Besides  the  sparkling  vault  of  the  Star  Chamber,  which  is  300  feet  long  and  80  feet  high,  there  are  halls  canopied  by  fleecy  clouds,  or 
studded  by  mimic  snow-balls,  and  others  displaying  various  grotesque  resemblances  on  the  walls  and  ceilings.  Cleveland's  Cabinet,  and 
Marion's  Avenue,  each  a  mile  long,  are  adorned  by  myriads  of  gypsum  rosettes  and  curiously  twisted  crystals  called  "oulopholites."  These 
cave-flowers  are  unfolded  by  pressure,  like  a  sheaf  of  wheat  forced  through  a  tight  binding.  This  charming  embellishment  of  clusters  and 
garlands  is  frequently  seen  curling  outward,  like  roses,  composing  petrified  bouquets  that  cover  the  snowy  arches. 

This  curious  feature  is  even  more  marked  by  the  stalactites  in  Mary's  Vineyard,  where  they  appear  in  the  form  of  an  aggregation  of 
spherical 'prominences,  resembling  clusters  of  grapes.  Other  chambers  are  drifted  with  snowy  crystals  of  sulphate  of  magnesia,  and  the 
ceilings  are  so  thickly  covered  with  their  efflorescence  that  a  sharp  concussion  of  the  air  will  c  .ise  them  to  fall  like  flakes  in  a  snow-storm. 

Many  small  rooms  and  tortuous  paths,  where  danger  lies,  are  avoided  as  much  as  possible;  but  even  on  the  regular  routes  through  the 
Cave  some  disagreeable  experiences  are  inevitable,  while  about  the  deep  pits  peril  is  always  present.  The  one  now  known  as  the  Bottom 
less  Pit  was  for  many  years  a  barrier  to  all  further  exploration,  and  until  a  substantial  wooden  bridge  was  built  across  it.  Long  before  the 
shaft  had  been  cut  as  deep  as  now,  the  water  flowed  away  by  a  channel  gradually  contracting  until  at  a  point  called  The  Fat  Man's  Misery 
the  walls  were  only  eighteen  inches  apart.  The  rocky  sides  are  beautifully  marked  with  waves  and  ripples,  as  if  running  water  had  been 
suddenly  petrified.  This  winding-way  conducts  to  River  Hall,  beyond  which  lie  the  crystalline  gardens  that  have  been  described.  It  was 
formerly  believed  that  if  this  narrow  passage  were  closed,  escape  would  be  impossible;  but  a  few  years  ago  a  tortuous  fissure  called  the 
Cork-Screw  was  discovered,  by  means  of  which  a  good  climber  ascending  a  few  hundred  feet  finally  lands  1,000  yards  from  the  mouth  of 
the  Cave,  and  cuts  off  nearly  two  miles.  . 

The  waters,  entering  through  numerous  domes  and  pits,  and  falling,  during  the  rainy  season,  in  cascades  of  great  volume,  are  finally 
collected  in  River  Hall,  where  they  form  several  extensive  lakes,  or  rivers,  whose  connection  with  Green  River  is  known  to  be  in  two  deep 
springs  appearing  under  arches  on  its  margin.  Whenever  there  is  a  freshet  in  Green  River  the  streams  in  the  cave  are  joined  in  a 
continuous  body  of  water,  the  rise  sometimes  being  as  much  as  sixty  feet  above  the  low-water  mark.  The  subsidence  within  is  less  rapid 
than  the  rise;  and  the  streams  are  impassable  during  a  greater  part  of  the  year.  They  are  usually  navigable  from  May  to  October,  and 
furnish  exceedingly  interesting  as  well  as  novel  features  of  cave  scenery.  The  largest  body  of  water  is  called  the  Dead  Sea,  embraced 
within  a  basin  formed  by  cliffs  sixty  feet  high,  above  which  a  path  has  been  made  which  leads  to  a  stairway  and  thence  to  the  River  Styx, 
a  body  of  water  that  is  four  hundred  feet  long  and  forty  feet  wide.  Lake  Lethe  is  the  next  water-basin,  enclosed  by  walls  ninety  feet  high, 
below  which  is  a  path  that  conducts  to  a  pontoon  at  the  neck  of  the  lake.  Thence  a  beach  of  the  finest  yellow  sand  extends  for  500  yards 
to  Echo  River,  the  largest  of  all,  being  nearly  one  mile  long,  from  20  to  200  feet  broad,  and  varying  in  depth  from  10  to  40  feet.  Two  or 
three  boats  are  placed  on  this  Lethean  or  Stygian  stream,  in  which  visitors  are  taken  from  one  end  of  the  river  to  the  other,  and  the  trip 
is  of  such  novelty  that  the  remembrance  of  it  is  imperishable.  To  see  the  boats  approaching,  in  the  weird  light  of  flickering  torches,  is 
like  a  vision  of  a  spectral  crew,  funereal,  sepulchral  and  almost  horrific.  The  arch  overhead  is  symmetrical  but  irregular  in  height,  and  is 
famous  for  its  musical  reverberations — not  a  distinct  echo,  for  the  repetitions  are  so  rapid  that  they  merge  and  become  a  prolongation  of 
sound  that  continues  for  nearly  half  a  minute.  The  long  vault  has  a  certain  key-note  of  its  own,  which,  when  sounded,  produces  harmonies, 
of  almost  incredible  depth  and  sweetness. 

In  these  Plutonian  regions  of  perpetual  night,  where  vegetation  is  only  imaged  by  petrified  efflorescence,  many  creatures  find  a 
congenial  abode,  and  become  so  accustomed  to  this  dark  habitat  that  they  cannot  live  elsewhere.  Of  the  twenty-eight  different  species 


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498  AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS. 

here  found,  the  most  remarkable  are  a  blind  and  wingless  grasshopper  with  extremely  long  attennae;  a  blind  and  colorless  cray-fish,  and  a 
blind  fish  which  grows  to  the  length  of  six  inches.  These  fish  possess  the  additional  curiosity  of  being  viviparous,  or  producing  their 
young  in  a  living  state,  instead  of  by  eggs.  Occasionally  other  fish  are  caught  in  the  running  streams  of  the  Cave  which  are  identical  with 
species  common  in  Green  River,  thus  proving  the  subterranean  connection  that  exists  between  that  river  and  the  Cave  streams. 

The  strongly  marked  divergence  of  these  blind  creatures  from  those  found  on  the  outside  led  Agassiz  to  believe  that  they  were 
specially  created  for  the  limits  within  which  they  dwell;  but  the  opinion  now  generally  held  is  that  they  are  modifications  of  allied  species 
existing  in  the  sunlight,  and  that  their  peculiarities  are  to  be  accounted  for  on  the  principles  of  evolution — the  process  of  change  being 
accelerated,  or  retarded,  by  their  migration  from  the  outer  world  to  a  region  of  silence  and  perpetual  darkness. 

Having  concluded  our  examination  of  Mammoth  Cave,  we  departed  by  the  Louisville  and  Nashville  Railroad  for  Louisville,  at 
which  city  train  was  taken  on  the  St.  Louis  Air  Line  for  Wyandotte  Cave,  which  was  to  be  our  last  objective  point  in  completing  our 
extensive  photographic  tour  of  America.  This  very  remarkable  Cave,  though  not  so  generally  known  as  Luray  or  Mammoth,  is  about  ten 
miles  south  of  the  Louisville  and  St.  Louis  Air  Line,  in  Crawford  county,  Indiana,  and  is  only  five  miles  from  the  Ohio  River.  We  reached 
the  Cave  by  way  of  Milltown,  thence  to  Corydon,  and  from  that  point  by  private  conveyance  a  distance  of  eleven  miles.  Entrance  to  the 
Cave  is  by  way  of  a  large  opening  in  a  hillside,  the  aperture  being  about  six  feet  high  and  twenty  feet  wide,  through  which  there  is 
always  a  strong  circulation  of  air  like  that  noted  at  the  mouth  of  Mammoth  Cave,  while  the  temperature  is  likewise  uniformly  54° 
Fahrenheit.  A  short  avenue  leads  into  a  chamber  known  as  Fanueil  Hall,  whose  dimensions  are  200  feet  long,  50  feet  wide  and  25  feet 
high;  thence  the  route  conducts  through  Twilight  Hall  into  Columbian  Arch,  which  resembles  a  railroad  tunnel,  so  symmetrical  is  the 
•excavation.  Washington  Avenue  is  next  entered,  which,  followed,  brings  the  visitor  to  Banditti  Hall,  where  the  ceiling  rises  to  an 
immense  height,  and  the  walls  are  jagged,  as  is  the  floor,  with  protruding  rocks,  so  that  this  chamber  is  both  forbidding  in  appearance  and 
difficult  to  traverse.  At  this  point  the  main  gallery  branches,  one  avenue  leading  to  what  is  known  as  the  Old  Cave,  and  the  other 
conducting  by  a  longer  route  to  more  interesting  apartments  than  those  before  passed.  Through  a  narrow  crevice  the  visitor  gains  a  room 
called  the  Bats'  Lodge,  and  beyond  this  is  Rugged  Mountain,  which  is  in  the  center  of  a  circular  room,  where  Epsom  salts  of  sparkling 
purity  and  vast  quantities  of  gypsum  in  efflorescent  beauty  cover  the  arched  vault.  Seen  under  torch-light  the  effect  is  indescribably 
magnificent,  and  is  the  first  striking  intimation  which  the  visitor  receives  of  the  extraordinary  grandeur  to  which  he  will  be  presently 
introduced.  Following  the  long  route  we  cross  a  lovely  sand-deposit  known  as  the  Plain,  but  find  an  abrupt  termination  of  this  level  walk  and 
are  compelled  to  climb  the  rock-bestrewn  Hill  of  Difficulty,  then  squeeze  through  a  small  passage-way  from  which  we  find  present  relief  by 
emerging  into  Wallace's  Grand  Dome,  one  of  the  most  magnificent  chambers,  as  well  as  the  largest,  in  the  Cave,  being  245  feet  high  and 
300  feet  in  diameter.  In  the  center  is  Monument  Mountain,  a  tremendous  stalagmite  formation  above  which  is  an  immense  dome 
beflowered  with  curling  leaves  of  gypsum  that  bear  a  wondrous  likeness  to  the  foliage  of  the  acanthus.  At  the  apex  of  the  mountain  is  a 
stalagmite  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  in  circumference,  which  has  been  broken  by  some  force  into  three  columns,  which,  viewed  from 
the  base,  admirably  counterfeit  three  monuments,  or  ghosts  clad  in  robes  of  gleaming  whiteness,  from  which  fact  the  chamber  takes  its 
name.  Visitors  are  usually  treated  to  a  superbly  grand  sight  while  examining  the  splendors  of  this  hall,  for  the  guide  disposes  his 
company  about  the  base  of  the  mountain,  and  ascending  to  the  summit  he  extinguishes  his  torch  in  order  to  bring  the  visitors  under  the 
influence  of  dense  darkness  for  a  few  moments.  Suddenly  the  peak  is  lighted  up  with  a  dazzling  splendor,  as  the  guide  touches  off 
green,  blue,  red  and  orange  lights,  bathing  the  chamber  in  a  sea  of  flaming  beauty  and  bejewelling  its  lofty  arch  until  Aladdin's  Cave  of  our 
imagination  is  reproduced. 

Beyond  Wallace's  Dome  there  are  a  hundred  halls  of  great  magnificence,  in  nearly  all  of  which  are  seen  fantastic  examples  of 
stalactite  formations,  and  marvelous  decorations  of  whitest  gypsum,  Milroy's  Temple  being  a  very  exhibition-room  of  these  exquisite 
curiosities:  huge  rocks,  overhung  by  galleries  of  creamery  stalactites,  vermicular  tubes  intertwined,  frozen  cataracts  and  vine-like  pendant 
forms  of  stalactites,  cluster  along  the  walls  in  a  profusion  almost  incredible.  Imagine  great  masses  of  white  delicate  branching  coral, 


THE   RIVER  STYX,   MAMMOTH  CAVE,   KENTUCKY. 


MONUMENT   MOUNTAIN   IN  WALLACE'S   DOME,   WYANDOTTE   CAVE,   INDIANA. 


:&'" 


ENTRANCE   TO   PILLARED   PALACE,   WYANDOTTE   CAVE. 


THE   THRONE,  WYANDOTTE   CAVE. 


AMERICA'S  WONDERLANDS.  503 

twisting,  curling  and  interlacing  itself,  serpent-like,  into  every  conceivable  fantastic  shape,  and  yon  have  only  a  faint  idea  of  the  truly 
extraordinary  scenery  of  this  glorious  temple  erected  by  nature.  Other  halls  of  almost  rival  splendor  are  known  as  Snowy  Cliffs,  Frosted 
Rocks,  Fairy  Palace,  Beauty's  Bower,  The  Throne,  and  Pillared  Palace,  in  all  of  which  gypsum  and  stalactites  occur  in  the  most  charming 
and  imposing  forms.  Pillared  Palace  is  particularly  entrancing  in  its  sumptuous  and  architecturally  beautiful  decorations.  It  is  from 
five  to  six  feet  high,  forty  or  fifty  feet  wide  and  several  hundred  feet  long.  Its  ceiling  is  a  complete  fringe-work  of  stalactites,  while  its 
floor  is  as  thickly  set  with  stalagmites,  many  of  which  latter  unite  with  the  former,  making  the  grandest  pillars.  Drapery  of  every 
conceivable  style  may  be  seen,  some  of  which  is  as  transparent  as  crystal  and  rings  like  a  silver  bell  when  exposed  to  a  light  blow. 
After  Pillared  Palace  comes  the  Palace  of  the  Genii,  which  for  delicate  formations  even  excels  the  former.  Here  are  found  stalactites 
of  every  conceivable  form,  many  of  them  as  white  as  if  they  were  made  of  sugar  or  whitest  marble. 

Passing  through  Fairy  Grotto,  Neptune's  Retreat,  and  Hermit's  Cell,  the  visitor  enters  a  larger  chamber  invested  with  the  same 
charming  ornamentation,  and  in  the  center  is  a  rich  canopy  of  stalactite  overhanging  a  stalagmite  which  has  been  likened  by  some 
imaginative  person  to  a  chair  richly  upholstered.  This  is  called  the  Throne,  a  designation  appropriate  enough,  for  it  is  one  of  the  most 
royally  beautiful  curiosities  in  the  Cave,  as  the  illustration  will  show. 

That  portion  known  as  the  Old  Cave,  while  scarcely  so  interesting  as  the  galleries  and  vaults  of  the  long  route,  contains  several 
halls  of  much  interest  and  one,  called  the  Senate  Chamber,  which  rivals  Wallace's  Dome.  In  the  center  of  this  room  stands  a  mountain 
whose  top  is  covered  many  feet  deep  with  stalactite  formations,  upon  which  stands  the  Pillar  of  the  Constitution.  This  is  an  immense 
stalagmite  measuring  seventy-five  feet  in  circumference  and  thirty  feet  high,  reaching  from  the  top  of  the  mountain  to  the  ceiling  above, 
fluted  and  carved  after  a  manner  that  would  have  put  to  shame  the  most  extravagant  architecture  of  Rome's  most  halcyon  days.  The 
world  has  not  yet  produced,  so  far  as  civilized  man  knows,  anything  of  the  kind  to  equal  it.  A  writer  says  of  it: 

"Before  us  arose  a  considerable  hill,  upon  the  top  of  which  stood,  like  a  column  supporting  the  ceiling,  a  vast  stalagmite  like  an 
immense  spectral-looking  iceberg  looming  up  before  us,  appearing  as  though  it  had  just  arisen  from  the  foaming  waves  of  the  ocean,  on  a 
dark  and  foggy  night.  In  the  uncertain  light  of  our  lamps  it  presented  an  appearance  grand,  if  not  appalling;  but  when  the  Drummond 
light  had  been  set  off,  all  this  changed  to  the  most  unearthly  beauty.  The  ceiling  above,  with  its  long  fringes  of  stalactites,  came  out  to 
view,  and  the  great  pillar  could  be  seen  in  all  its  grandeur  and  beauty." 

Beyond  this  is  Pluto's  Ravine,  where  stands  Stallasso's  Monument,  a  large  white  stalagmite,  marked  all  over  with  pencil  inscrip 
tions,  some  of  them  sixty  years  old,  composing  an  autograph  album  of  wonderful  curiosity,  containing  hundreds  of  names  which  to  fame 
are  otherwise  unknown,  and  effusions  of  doggerel  poets  whose  reputations,  alas,  will  no  doubt  be  forever  restricted  to  the  limits  of  this  cave 
chamber.  A  short  distance  beyond  Pluto's  Ravine  is  the  termination  of  this  section  of  the  Cave,  and  from  this  point  return  is  made  to  the 
open  air.  A  ramble  among  the  subterranean  glories  and  petrified  splendors  of  Wyandotte  Cave  was  a  fitting  conclusion  to  one  of  the  most 
interesting  toiirs  that  was  ever  taken  through  the  picturesque  regions  of  our  country;  a  tour  affording  so  much  information,  pleasure, 
adventure,  and  profit,  that  the  remembrance  must  forever  remain  a  source  of  intense  satisfaction  and  delight.  It  was  with  feelings  of  deep 
regret  that  we  separated  after  the  completion  of  our  work,  and  each  returned  to  his  respective  home,  to  take  up  anew  the  old  labor  which 
we  had  laid  down  when  the  start  was  made  upon  our  long  journey.  During  the  trip  our  photographers  took  five  thousand  pictures;  many 
of  these  were  taken  under  unfavorable  conditions,  and  upon  development  were  found  unworthy  of  reproduction.  Many  others  were 
excellent  and  well  deserving  to  rank  with  those  which  we  have  here  used,  but  there  is  a  limit  to  all  things,  and  ours  does  not  exceed  the 
space  occupied  by  the  520  odd  views  which  we  have  presented;  these,  however,  are  fairly  representative  of  the  incomparable  scenery  that 
charmingly  diversifies  our  native  land,  a  land  kissed  by  the  lips  of  liberty,  bounty,  and  beauty,  and  blessed  with  an  amplitude  of 
powers,  under  the  exercise  of  which  the  largest  freedom,  benefits  and  sovereign  rights  are  obtained  for  the  whole  people. 


